Loving Thru the Trials of Love
by Nobody Hekele
Summary: Sequel to: Kagome's Song and Inuyasha's Love. The gang is back and as in love as ever...but what happens when a fallen angel wants to split them up? And what ties does she have to them that they don't know yet? And why are bad things starting to happen
1. Be My ValentinePart 1

Loving Thru the Trials of Love 

Well, well, well…I am now back…and with a new story! I have decided to write alternating chapters, instead of stories…THE REVIEWERS HAVE SPOKEN!

I hope you don't mind, but I didn't know who to put first, so I assigned each couple a number between one and four, and had Kachie randomly pick numbers. The chapters will go as follows: Kachie/Koga, Kagome/Inuyasha, Hekele/Sesshoumaru, and Sango/Miroku. They will ALL follow this pattern…

Now…I want to thank all of my reviewers for making my past story a success…and I hope that this one does just as well.

For those who haven't read my past story: Hekele's father killed her mother, brother, and step-father, and is still on the loose. She came to live with her pen pal, Kagome, after she and Ms. Higurashi found out about what had happened. Kachie came in a few chapters later, after she purposefully got herself expelled for a year so that she would need to find another school. Ms. H. welcomed her in with open arms as well. Hekele had saved Rin and the little girl got attached to her, and eventually, so did Sesshoumaru, he even brought her back to life when she died protecting Rin. Kachie wormed her way into Koga's heart without his noticing and those two fell in love as well. Naraku and Kikyo are now both dead, and Kagome and Inuyasha are together, and Miroku and Sango are engaged.

While in the future, EVERYONE is human, and while in the past, EVERYONE, (except Inuyasha,) are full-fledged demons/demonesses.

That should bring you up to speed for the most part if you haven't read my other story…but if you can…please read it…It is called, Kagome's Song and Inuyasha's Love.

IMPORTANT: While in the future and human, Kagome still possesses her miko powers…she loses them while she is a demoness in the Feudal Era…(or else she may purify herself…I mean, hey…think about it…)

Ok…here is my chapter…it is focused around, (but not involving only,) Kachie/Koga…no major plot stuff until later on in story…must set the crap up first…blah….! Also, I know that Valentine's Day was a while ago…just work with me people, I've been having issues with family problems and haven't been able to concentrate on writing…so just work with me people…thanks…

**Be My Valentine? Part: 1**

**_Setting: It is now winter…February 7. There is one week until Valentine's Day…and two until Hekele's birthday. Story begins during the last hour of school…(yes…the girls actually attend school now…)_**

Kachie rolled her eyes as the algebra teacher explained the second problem for the tenth time. She turned her attention to her pocket calendar and smiled. Valentine's Day was but a week away, and she couldn't wait to surprise Koga. She knew that she had to make their first Valentine's Day as special as possible, and she couldn't wait.

_What on Earth am I going to get him though? It has to be something that he will always treasure…like the glass necklace with his name in it, only better! This has to be perfect!_ she thought lovingly. She pondered it all in her head as the math teacher droned on and on.

Kachie side-glanced to her left and saw Hekele asleep on her desk. She hid an evil smirk as she rose her hand.

The teacher, Mr. Kawasaki, nodded for her to speak, "Do you have the answer Kachie?"

Kachie grinned, "No…but I'm certain that Hekele does…" At this, Mr. Kawasaki looked at the sleeping girl and narrowed his eyes slightly in thought.

_Hekele's gonna kill me…_Kachie thought with only mild uncertainty.

"Miss Hekele?" Mr. Kawasaki said as he neared her. Kachie sat still. She watched as Hekele stirred in her sleep.

"MISS ADAMS!" the teacher yelled loudly in the girl's ear. Hekele suddenly woke up and jumped in surprise. Kachie, along with the rest of the class, snickered.

"Well, Miss Adams, since you were obviously bored with the assignment, I will give you thirty seconds to examine the problem on the chalk board…if you give me the correct answer on your first try, WITHOUT using your graphing calculator, I won't give you detention…is that a deal?" Mr. Kawasaki asked, rather annoyed. Kachie smirked…there was no way that Hekele was going to get that question right, math was her downfall.

"Umm…that sounds fair…" Hekele said weakly. Kachie smiled. Even though the two were best friends, it was always nice to cause a little mayhem in each other's lives once in a while…

Mr. Kawasaki snorted, "I'm glad you think so…START!"

Kachie watched as Hekele frantically looked the board over. It was hilarious to watch her eyes shift and the look of complete fear on her face deepen with every second. Then, to Kachie's surprise, her face suddenly became calm. She even smiled a bit. Kachie continued to watch her friend with interest…she had not seen this one coming…After all, when they had covered this stuff back at their old school, Hekele could never set the problem up, once it was set up, it was easy…but solving quadratic equations by factoring, and _then_ solving for the variable had always stumped the girl beyond all reason…

"If I get it right…will you also tell me who told you that I was sleeping?" she asked sweetly. The teacher, not thinking that she would get the answer, grinned slightly.

"Of course…" he said.

"In that case, the problem factored is: (x - 6) or (x + 6), which solved means that

x 6 or –6…am I right?" Hekele asked triumphantly. Both Kachie and Mr. Kawasaki stared at her in disbelief.

"…Yes…the tattle tail was Kachie…" he said, obviously upset. Hekele smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you." And with that, the bell rang, dismissing the students for the day. After bowing respectively to Mr. Kawasaki, the class quickly left the room. Kachie, now fearing for her life, ran most of the way. She didn't even see Kagome when she rounded the corner to her locker and ran into her.

"Aaahh! Kachie! What the heck has gotten into you? You look like you've seen Naraku's ghost!" said Kagome from the heap of limbs and books on the floor. Kachie shuddered.

"No…but what I did see was my own death chasing after me…" she said meekly. Kagome arched an eyebrow.

"What did you do now?"

"I sort of turned tattle tail and ran…"

"Do I really want to know?" Kagome sighed as she stood up.

"No…but you're gonna find out anyway…"

"KACHIE JO RUNA! YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

Later, at WacDonald's:

"…So…how did you manage to get that problem right? I mean…you and math don't mix…" Kachie asked Hekele. Hekele had decided to forgive her only if Kachie bought her a hot-fudge sundae from WacDonald's, and since she ran over Kagome while trying to flee the scene, Kachie had been suckered into buying her one as well.

Hekele smirked, "It was simple…after I figured out that I had copied the answer out of the back of the book…I just remembered it…ha! I beat the system!"

Kachie rolled her eyes and Kagome just shook her head. It was then that Kagome spoke, "So…what are you two doing for Valentine's Day? Got any plans?"

Hekele looked thoughtful, "I want to do something special for Sesshoumaru…and Rin too, it is their first time celebrating it after all…but I don't have any ideas…Do you?"

Kachie sighed, "I want it to be a Valentine's Day that Koga won't forget…even though it will be his first…I want it to be the perfect day…and, like Hekele, I haven't the slightest clue as to what to do…"

Kagome smiled in triumph, "The school is sponsoring a Valentine's Day Dance! We should take the guys there! It would be so much fun!"

Hekele seemed to mull the idea over in her head, but Kachie wasn't convinced, "When those three see how girls in our era dance, they are going to turn tail and run. I doubt they would want someone they have never seen before shaking their ass in skimpy clothing around them…" Hekele nodded at this statement, but Kagome's smile only broadened.

"Well, I just so happened to have overheard that because they find a dance to be a social event that reflects upon the school, AND because it is going to be a community activity and children will most likely be there, that sort of dancing isn't going to be permitted! The school may be sponsoring it…but it isn't a school activity…they just have enough space at the right time to hold the celebration!" she bounced, clearly having been waiting to share her news to the point of explosion.

Kachie finished her own sundae and then smirked, "Then what are we waiting for! Let's get going so that we can tell them!"

Hekele paused, "Hey…do they even know how to dance? I imagine that Sesshoumaru would have to…being a lord and living in a palace, but what about Inuyasha and Koga?"

Kagome waved her hand, dismissing the notion, "There will be plenty of other things to do besides dance; they won't have to unless they want to."

Kachie grabbed Hekele's wrist and ushered Kagome out of the booth, "If there are no more objections…then let's get going! I wanna tell them about our idea!"

Once the trio was half way to the shrine, Kachie spoke once more, "…We still should do something to make the day special…" The other two nodded.

"Oh well…we have a week to figure it out…"

Feudal Era:

Koga sat near the well, waiting for Kachie and the others to come through. Even though it was a Monday, and a school day, they had said that they would be coming for a visit. He leaned against the wooden well and closed his eyes for a brief moment, before an odd aroma reached his nose. He heard grunting coming from the well and turned around to peer down into it.

"Souta? What the hell are you doing here?" he said as he reached down and lifted Kagome's younger brother out of the well. Souta smiled slightly.

"Well, since you are new to the holidays and terms of our era, I thought that it would be a good idea to tell you, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha about the next one…which happens to be coming up quick…Valentine's Day."

Koga looked at him oddly, "What is 'Valentine's Day'?"

Souta grinned, "It's suppose to be a celebration of affection. You buy the one you love candy, flowers, little gifts…or sometimes, really expensive ones…just to show them how much you care."

Koga frowned, "Why wouldn't the girls have told us about this day if it is so special?" At this, Souta shrugged.

"Who knows, maybe they didn't want you to feel like you HAD to get them stuff, or maybe they were going to tell you about it and just didn't get around to it yet…either way, I thought you all might like to know about it so that you could surprise them…" he said. Koga nodded a bit.

"…Thanks for the info…I'll relay it to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha…Perhaps even Miroku ought to know as well…" he said honestly. Souta nodded and sat on the edge of the well.

"I better get back before they figure out that I told you guys…if they smell me when they get here, tell them that I was letting Shippo borrow my Game-Boy…here," he said, tossing the said object to Koga, who grinned.

"You thought this out didn't you?" Souta nodded slightly and then jumped into the well. Koga watched him go and then sighed.

"Well, I better get this to Shippo…and talk to the rest of the guys…hope Kachie isn't upset that I didn't stick around to meet her…" he said before dashing off at top speed to Kaede's village.

"So…this day that you speak of is special in their era…" Sesshoumaru said passively after Koga explained what Souta had told him. Koga nodded.

"And they haven't told us…why?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. Koga shrugged.

"Not a clue…but if they do mention it when they come…act surprised…I think that _we_ should surprise _them_ as well…" he said firmly. Sesshoumaru nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"…And how are we going to do that?" he asked, more to himself than anyone.

Inuyasha shrugged, "I haven't the slightest idea…"

Koga thought for a moment before speaking, "We should wait and see what happens when they come. If they mention the day, we should ask them questions about it and hopefully get some ideas. Then, when they leave, we regroup and plot, er, plan…"

Sesshoumaru nodded, "That may be the best method as of now…"

Koga sniffed the air, "Ok, they've just come through the well…let's see what we can figure out…"

Kachie gave Koga a hug as soon as she saw him. She was a bit surprised when he hadn't been at the well when she, Hekele, and Kagome had come through…since he was every other time, but she didn't mind really.

"So, what was the twerp doing here?" she asked him. Kagome had gone to find Inuyasha and Hekele had scared Rin and was heading with her to see Sesshoumaru, so the two were basically alone.

Koga shrugged, "He popped through the well to give Shippo his Gameboy, and I decided that it would probably be better if I did it for him, and that is also why I wasn't there when you came through…sorry."

Kachie smiled at him, "No sweat, I figured you had a good reason."

Koga smiled and gave her a little squeeze, "Yea…I figured you wouldn't mind since I always do anyway."

"Yes you do…unlike two other certain canines I know of…" Kachie said, rolling her eyes. Koga looked at her with interest.

"What do you mean?"

Kachie sighed, "Well, you always come to meet me when we come through the well, and, I don't know, I think it bums out Hekele and Kagome that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru don't as well. I mean, Inuyasha used to back when you guys were all hunting shards…mostly to make sure that Kagome wouldn't bail out on him, but even he doesn't anymore since he knows that she's coming back for sure. And Sesshoumaru only comes when Rin is coming back from that era as well, so Hekele feels a bit bummed out too."

Koga looked at her with a bit of concern, "If it bothered them, why haven't they said anything?" Kachie smiled.

"Probably because they don't want to appear whiny and clingy…and they know that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha aren't doing it on purpose; they aren't mad, they just feel a bit neglected."

Koga nodded and, trying to lighten the mood, gave Kachie a kiss on the forehead and smiled, "Well, at least they aren't getting too jealous…"

Kachie smiled at him and blushed, "Oh! Guess what? Next week is Valentine's day!"

Koga hid his smirk, "What's that?"

Three hours later:

"So, what did you two find out?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshoumaru shrugged, "Hekele said that there was going to be a dance and a small festival, and that we were invited to come…"

Koga and Inuyasha both nodded. "Kachie mentioned it as well, I know that I am going, are you two?"

At this, both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru nodded. It was then that Sesshoumaru asked spoke.

"Did either of you two get any ideas about what we could do for them?"

Koga paused, recalling what he had learned from earlier, "I heard something that could be a start. I was giving Kachie my alibi for not being there to meet her like usual, and she said that at least I usually show up, unlike you two. Apparently, even though they appear not to mind, Hekele and Kachie get a little…upset that you don't come to meet them when they return here. The aren't angry or anything, but they do feel a bit bummed."

Inuyasha's ears drooped slightly at this information, "Why haven't they said anything if it bothers them so much? We would come if they wanted us to…" Sesshoumaru frowned slightly.

"He is correct, but I haven't sensed a change in mood from either of them…" he said, thinking. Koga gave them a half-hearted grin.

"Kachie said that it was probably because they don't want to seem…clingy, I guess was the word that Kachie used. They also know that you aren't doing it on purpose; it's why they aren't mad about it…you know they aren't materialistic like that anyhow…" he said, trying to get it out without offending his comrades.

Sesshoumaru nodded slightly, "You are right, they aren't, however, something this trivial wouldn't make them appear…clingy, not in my eyes anyhow."

Inuyasha nodded, "So, basically, it hurts their feelings, right? Then we can just start to meet them more often…" Koga nodded, as did Sesshoumaru once more.

"It's a start, like I said. But we really should come up with something better…" Koga said. At this, both the other men nodded, placing themselves back on square one. Suddenly, Inuyasha grinned slightly.

"Let us pay Ms. H. a visit…she'll know what to do…" he stated confidently. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and Koga smacked his head.

Inuyasha looked offended, "What's wrong with that! Let's see you two come up with something better!"

­-

Later, our Era:

Ms. H. walked about her kitchen as she cleaned up for the night. It was about 10:30pm, and everyone else was asleep. She was used to being the last one up on week days.

She stretched and yawned once before deciding to turn in for the night when she heard a noise outside. She stopped suddenly, arms still extended, and glared outside.

_Burglars trying to break into **my** house are they? Well, I'll show those idiots…_ she thought as she grabbed her frying pan and snuck over to the back door. She saw the shadow of a figure through the blinds of the window on the door and got herself ready for her attack. She saw the door knob turn and before the door was even open she swung her frying pan as hard as she could…

…and hit poor Koga in the face…

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru clasped his mouth shut to keep him from screaming as Ms. H. covered her mouth in complete shock at what she had done. She led the three inside and grabbed some ice from the freezer for Koga, who looked to have a flattened nose and a black eye.

_Kachie is never going to forgive me for this one…_ she thought to herself seriously as she ran the ice back to Koga, who was trying his best not to yell out in pain, "What on Earth are you three doing here? It's past 10:30…oh dear, Koga, I am so sorry about hitting you…"

"Nope…my fault…spooked ya…" he replied through the pain in his face. He vowed never to let her hit him while he was human ever again.

Ms. Higurashi carefully iced his eye as she sat down in front of him. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were standing behind Koga, as if to cover his mouth should he get himself hurt again.

Inuyasha was the one to speak first, "We know that you usually stay up later than everyone else and so we waited till now to ask you about something…" Koga and Sesshoumaru nodded at this, and when Inuyasha made no move to continue speaking, Sesshoumaru grudgingly finished for him.

"Souta informed us of Valentine's Day and we wish to make it special for the girls…but we are at a loss of what to do…and we were hoping that you could assist us…" he said.

Ms. H. smiled at this and nodded, "Of course I'll help you out, and even I have to admit, that was a good idea waiting until late to come here. I'll tell you what, I'll give you the means to get them gifts, but you still have to figure out what to do…all you can get out of me are the resources, or else the gift wouldn't count…do you see what I am saying?" The three nodded; if she told them what to buy, then it wouldn't be a gift from them, they understood.

Ms. H. walked over to the counter and pulled out an envelope, then she opened her purse and took out her wallet. She concealed herself by turning her back to them. After a minute or so, she walked back over to them and handed Koga the envelope.

"Ok, while they are at school sometime this week, go to the mall. Don't open the envelope until then, ok? Divide the money up three ways and start looking for what you want to get them…oh, and another thing, I don't expect much change back…get the hint?" she said, winking at them slightly. They gave her confused looks, (at which her smile broadened,) and pondered what she said.

"Ummm, thanks, I guess, we'll do our best…" Koga said uncertainly. He, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha were still looking at the envelope as though it held the plague.

Ms. H. smiled and yawned once more, "Well, I'm going to get to bed, I have work in the morning…so, turn the light out when you leave and lock the door…and again, Koga, I am very sorry about hitting you with my pan…"

Koga managed a smile, "No problem…as long as I get back home soon it'll heal up before they come to visit next; I'm not worried." Ms. H. smiled, nodded at them in farewell, and walked out of the room.

The three looked at the envelope once more with curiosity. Inuyasha poked it, "So…wanna open it now?"

Koga whacked him upside the head.

**Me**- Well, there's chappie number one. Sorry it's short, but it'll get longer when

the plot starts to develop…I need to write it in gradually…but within a few

chapters…maybe after my first four, (the first rotation,) I'll be able to get

weasel the main plot into it…or perhaps I'll thread it in before that

slowly…little by little…ok?

**Kachie**- Yup…she already has a good idea for what the plot will be like, and I

think it's good, so you guys'll love it too.

**Me**- Ok, please review, and have fun reading this…I'm going to have fun writing

it. Also, since volleyball is now over, I may be able to update more

often…but don't get your hopes up!

**Kachie**- cocks her rifle of doom and glares at readers Review…or else…


	2. Be My ValentinePart 2

Loving Thru the Trials of Love 

Yo peeps…and other random reviewers! Wow…you all like my new story! Yay! I love you all too! I am so proud that you guys are coming back for more…I feel so honored!

Ok, this is my Inuyasha/Kagome chapter! It is starting off where I left off with Koga and Kachie, only focusing on these two instead…Ya…the boys go shopping…fun, FuN, FUN! Also, I am not going to write what each guy is buying for us, (except for Inuyasha of course;) that way, we have a sweet and sentimental element of surprise for later!

Ok, to Kenshin Kawamaki: I am going to make Inuyasha's life span the same as everyone else's because this is how I see it; Inuyasha is half demon and half human…his extremely LONG life span is part of his demon traits and is the same as any full demon…I decided this on the basis that he didn't age a day in the fifty years he was pinned to that tree, ok? And if that doesn't float your boat, then he lives that long because the jewel made him…he was fine the way he was and so he remained hanyou, but his lifespan changed…deal?

Now that that is done…on to the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Oh, and I own nothing…

**Be My Valentine: Part 2**

_Setting: Back at school…first period …it is Friday…and meanwhile the boys are getting ready to go shopping…beware!_

"Help me Hekele…you know I hate this class…"

"Kagome…you know I couldn't do that work if my life depended on it…"

"But you're at least getting a C+ in the class!"

"That's because I can…_cooperative learn_…with the best of them…"

"Then let me cooperative learn with you!"

"Sorry, I don't co-op 'til lunch, and even then, I pay the price of my chocolate milk and half my dessert to do it…"

"Oh come on!"

"I'm sorry, but I actually **worked** for these answers…I did the whole thing myself…and I feel like being stingy…"

"In other words…you want to keep the only edible part of your lunch, you know you got all the problems wrong, and you don't want me to get in trouble since we have the same teacher for different hours…right?"

"Wrong…I got all the odd ones right…those are in the back of the book…"

"Grrr…ok, then can you tell me who you copy off of?"

"…Kachie…"

"…I should have known…"

"Ok…well, the bell's about to ring, and we have a quiz next hour, so talk to her when we're done…'kay? I'm sure she'll help…for your milk and half your dessert…maybe just your milk since you're a first time customer…"

Kagome slapped her face, "What have I gotten myself into now? Oh well, I wonder how Souta is doing?"

With the boys:

Inuyasha scowled as he poked his head over the well._ What have I gotten myself into now? _he thought darkly as Sesshoumaru shoved him over the edge so that he and Koga could climb up as well. Inuyasha hadn't the slightest clue as to what to buy for Kagome, and his irritability level had risen greatly in his anxiousness.

He led Koga and Sesshoumaru into the house to change into their clothing for the current era. They kept most of their clothes here so that they could change when they came, seeing as they would look odd walking around in their era wearing them. It was bad enough that the girls did so; they always got strange stares…

Once inside and changed, they headed towards the front door…and found Souta laying on the couch.

Koga rolled his eyes, "Runt…I think that you're stalking us…" Souta spared him a glare.

"I'm sick, I have a fever, my stomach hurts, I'm told I look green, and I _feel_ like I'm about to puke, so leave me alone."

Inuyasha gave the boy a concerned look, "You ok runt? You _do_ look pretty bad…who's here with you? We haven't seen your mom or the geezer."

Souta shrugged, "Grandpa's over at a _neighboring_ shrine…like…**twelve** blocks away, and mom's boss wouldn't give her the day off, so I'm stuck here alone until Grandpa gets home…what are you three doing here?"

Inuyasha sat on the arm of the couch, "Your mom gave us some money so that we could buy the girls some presents…hey, thanks for the heads up by the way."

Souta beamed as much as he could at the moment, "No sweat, you guys deserved a heads up…speaking of which…there's something else I was supposed to tell Sesshoumaru…Mom said to if I saw you before she did…she must have forgotten to mention it when she gave you the money…what was it…"

Sesshoumaru looked curious, "_When_ was it? Maybe that would jog your memory?" Souta looked unsure.

"She said something about the week after Valentine's Day…hey, grab me that planner that's on the table Inuyasha…no, that's not it…the red notebook looking thing…Yeah, that one! Thanks!"

Souta flipped open the planner and flipped it to the week after Valentine's Day. He looked at all the things his mom wrote until he came upon something she circled. His eyes got wide.

"Wow…it's a good thing that I remembered that I had to tell you something…this is important…" he said slowly, mentally berating himself for not remembering.

All three of the boys looked impatient with their younger friend. They had to be on their way so that they could purchase the gifts and get back to their era before the girls returned from school. However…at the same time, all three were _very_ curious to know what Ms. H. wanted to tell Sesshoumaru…

"Well? Out with it runt…what's so important?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshoumaru himself walked closer out of curiosity.

"Hekele's 17th birthday is next Monday! On the 21st! Wow…Sesshoumaru has to buy two gifts today!" he burst. Sesshoumaru turned a bit pale, now more lost as to what to buy than ever. Inuyasha laughed.

"Ha ha! Poor Sesshoumaru'll be in the doghouse if he doesn't, right Koga?" he joked. Koga laughed along with him, when Sesshoumaru spoke suddenly.

"…She never told me her birthday was coming up…" Souta shrugged.

"Probably because she figures it'd make her seem materialistic…like the whole deal with you guys not meeting them at the well and stuff…" Then Inuyasha paused.

"Hey…Souta…when's Kagome's birthday?"

At this, Souta laughed, "Hey, you know the day you first met her? When she freed you from the tree and you thought she was Kikyo and tried to kill her?"

Inuyasha nodded uncertainly at this, why was _that_ funny to him? "Yeah…I remember…why?"

Souta nearly rolled from his makeshift bed laughing, "_That_ was her 15th birthday!" At this, Koga and Sesshoumaru began to snicker.

"How ironic that you would try to kill the future love of your life on her birthday Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru said, clearly enjoying the moment that the jeering had abandoned him.

Koga shook his head, "Only you Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha's face was one of complete and utter horror, "**That wench has been my friend for a whole year and she never told me that I nearly killed her on her birthday!**"

"Oh well, " Souta said, still laughing, "at least she doesn't hold it against you, oh, and before you ask Koga, Kachie's birthday isn't until June, so you've got time to chill."

Inuyasha just shook his head and stood up, "Well, thanks for the info runt…We're glad you remembered to tell us." Inuyasha looked hesitant, and then shrugged it off, "Hey, if the geezer isn't back before us, I'll hang out here with you until he does, deal?"

Souta looked at his idol and grinned a goofy grin, "Sure! Thanks!"

Inuyasha gave him a grin of his own and, after ruffling his hair, headed to the door. Sesshoumaru and Koga bid the boy farewell and well wishes as they did the same, following Inuyasha outside and down the multiple stairs to the sidewalk, and from there to the dreaded mall…

With the girls:

"I am soooo ready to go home already…" Kagome muttered for the third time in her third hour. It was her math class and she was correcting her work as the teacher went over it on the board.

_Hmmm, Kachie certainly is good at math…not that I intend on making this a habit…no sirry, I intend to pass with my own skill…but she hasn't gotten any wrong yet…OK! WILL POWER! MUST NOT COPY **ANYMORE**!_ she thought with a note of finality to her mind's tone. Kachie had given her the answers she needed in exchange for her chocolate milk later on at lunch. She was in awe that the girl hadn't gotten any problems wrong as of yet, and was seriously considering on asking Kachie for help in the future.

_Help is ok…just no more copying…ok…I can justify this one time…now to get Hekele to study so that **she** didn't have to copy…growl…oh well…I wonder what those two are up to? I think they have band…yeah…Hekele's trying out an electric guitar for the first time instead of an acoustic and Kachie is playing the drums…I wonder how good they are…they never practice at home…_ she thought as she allowed her mind to wander. She was about ready to fall asleep, and when she just closed her eyes she heard the bell ring. Growling, she stretched and stood to bow. She then left into the mob of students and headed to her Language Arts class, which she had with her friends.

_Maybe I'll ask them about their instruments and lack of practice at home during lunch…I really am curious…_ she thought to herself. Also, since Souta had been left to his lonesome, she was rather worried…Grandpa never seemed to be home until dinner time when he went to other shrines for a visit…

_I swear…he has no priorities sometimes…_

With the boys:

Inuyasha fingered his prize in his hand as he looked at it for the fiftieth time in the last five minutes. Even though he was sure that Kagome would like it, he _wasn't_ sure if it was the best he could do…

Ms. H. had given the boys eight hundred dollars. When the three companions had opened the envelope at the mall, they had nearly died of shock.

She had known that they would come for help, (just not at the exact moment they did…poor Koga…) and she had prepared for it.

"She is one of the most remarkable women I have ever met, in this era or the last…she always has an ace up her sleeve…even when no one else knows they are playing a game…Kagome's lucky to have her as a mother…" he said to himself, still not believing how generous she could be at times.

The trio had saved Miroku two hundred dollars, splitting it all up evenly. He had been away visiting Hachi and a fellow monk who had cared for him as a child. (AN: if you've seen the second movie…you know who I'm talking about…) He had also not wanted to seem out of character to Sango, so he had taken her along with him.

Kagura, the poor thing, was taking care of the kids for the rest of the day, and had informed them that Miroku would be back later that evening. She also informed them that he and Kohaku would come to the future to shop while Kagura, Kanna, and Rin took Sango for some girl time at the hot-springs. She was rising above and beyond the call of duty that day.

The guys all decided to buy her something, just to be fair to her, for everything she was doing. She deserved it.

They bought her a necklace with blue and pink colored beads and her name written on a grain of rice in a glass feather charm.

In all actuality, they had each purchased one for their loves…it was a sort of joke gift, but they each knew that their girls would treasure them as they did when theirs were purchased months ago…

They had also purchased more expensive gifts. Inuyasha had taken the most time to find his…Even Sesshoumaru, whom also had to buy a birthday gift for Hekele, had left the mall an hour earlier than he.

Inuyasha once again messed with the gift in his hand before returning it to its box. He had bought Kagome an 18 karat gold necklace with a golden dragon pendant with sapphire stone eyes, wings, (the membrane part,) as well as a sapphire flame on its tail. It was almost as beautiful and perfect as she was…_almost_.

"So…think she'll like it Souta?" he asked. He had been showing the gift to the runt when he had begun to examine it once more. He needed it to be perfect, and he needed other opinions to be sure he had done a good job…

Souta just stared at him, "Holy shit Inuyasha; I think Kagome's going to glomp the living daylights out of you when she sees it…She might just squeeze you to death…no joke!"

Inuyasha beamed at him, "I take it that's a yes…and when did you start swearing? If Kagome hears you, she'll blame me!"

Souta shrugged, "I don't know…but I'll try to keep it quiet for your sake."

"That's a good sick runt…and if you _do_ get caught…blame Hekele and Kachie…"

"Aye, aye boss. It's all their fault…"

"Good…so now what do you wanna do?" Inuyasha asked as he tucked the gift into his pocket. Souta shrugged.

"Wanna play Mortal Kombat? Bet I'll win…"

"Bring it on runt!"

Half an hour later:

"Hey, Inuyasha! Is the coast clear?"

Inuyasha peeked out the window and saw Miroku and Kohaku standing there. He nodded, "You've got ten to fifteen minutes…hurry up!"

Inuyasha waited patiently for the two to get in and change, and when they did, he handed them the envelope, "Ok, listen, we each got them one of those necklaces that they got us way back when, yes idiot, the one you're wearing, and we also got them something special…so you get her a necklace too and the rest is up to you, got it?"

Miroku blinked a few times and nodded, "Ok, deal…how much is in here?"

"You'll see! Now git!" Inuyasha yelled, shoving him and Kohaku out the back door just as Kagome, Hekele, and Kachie walked in the front.

"Hey…we're home!" Kagome called cheerfully. Inuyasha made his appearance from the kitchen with a cup of root beer.

"Feh…what took ya so long?"

The girls just stared at him in disbelief. Kagome walked up to him once her shoes were off, "What are you doing here?" She gave him a small hug and smiled at the pleasant surprise.

Inuyasha shrugged, "I got hungry for some ramen and wanted to bug the geezer…but I found sicko over here and decided to stick around with him for a while since no one else was around."

Souta hid a grin when he heard this. _Well, it's half true anyway…_

Kagome gave Inuyasha a surprised look and then gave him another hug, "Inuyasha…that is so sweet of you! Thanks! I was worried about him all day!"

Inuyasha was surprised when she gave him a kiss on the cheek and he blushed, "No big…I was just bored…he seems to be doing a lot better than when I first got here…"

Hekele walked over to Souta and looked him over, "He certainly looks a lot better…and his fever's down too…"

Souta beamed, "Yeah, Inuyasha provided lots of comical relief…you should have seen him lose to me at Mortal Kombat…I was laughing my head off…"

Inuyasha growled mildly but stopped when Kachie grinned at him, "Well, laughter is said to be the best medicine…way to go Inuyasha!"

At this praise, Inuyasha smirked, "What can I say…it's a curse…" he said jokingly. Kagome beamed at him again and gave him another hug.

"Hey, wanna stay for dinner? Mom's making oden!" she asked happily. How could Inuyasha refuse a free meal?

"Sure…why not!"

Later, Feudal Era:

"Inuyasha, what took you so long?" Kagura growled. She had been stuck with Shippo all day, and he had bugged her to death even when she took the girls to the hot spring. It was all she could do to NOT tie him to a tree…

Inuyasha smirked, "I got invited to dinner…and we had oden…" He purposely rubbed it in her face, knowing that she would get her reward later and all would be well.

Sesshoumaru walked in and sniffed the air, "Moocher…you stayed for dinner didn't you?" At Inuyasha's smirk, he rolled his eyes.

"Here, since you're back and as awake as ever, it's _your_ turn to watch the kids…Kagura has been at it all day and we've been at it for the past few hours now…and since all Souta did was sit still and most likely beat you at his video games, you can sit right there while Rin and Shippo 'make you pretty'. Any problems? No? RIN, SHIPPO! INUYASHA IS WILLING TO _PLAY_ WITH YOU!" he yelled to them before Inuyasha had a chance to protest.

The last thing anyone heard from the hanyou was a tortured, "NOOOOOOOO!"

**Me**- So? How was it? Next up is me and Sesshoumaru…so yay! Also, That

dance is going to be on Saturday…and they will give out the rice necklaces

that day…the other special presents will be given out on the actual

day…so…yea…that ok with you?

**Kachie**- Fine by me!

**Me**- It better be…

**Kachie**- And why is that?

**Me**- Cuz if it isn't then I just won't update…

**Kachie**- Meep…

**Me**- I also have a Wolf's Rain one-shot that you all can read…you can get the

link from my profile…duh…

**Kachie**- _cocks her rifle of doom_ Must review them both or else…


	3. Be My ValentinePart 3

Loving Thru the Trials of Love 

Yo peeps! Are you enjoying my quick updates? I am certainly enjoying writing them! But in all seriousness, the updates will come a bit slower and be a bit longer once the main plot comes into play….just because I'll have more to think/write about…ok? So enjoy this while you can!

For those of you trying to guess what my plot is…yes, it involves my dad…and Kachie's parents…and a past affection of Miroku…and lots of Inu/Kagome bickering over nothing…

As random as all this seems, it all ties in…and you will get a glimpse of how in the next chapter…so…yeah…read up ya'll!

Also…'member me writing about Hekele and Kachie playing instruments? Mwuahahahaha…_that_ is going to be explained in THIS chapter….Bwuahahahahaha!

Disclaimer: Ya…I own shit…no Inuyasha…no Avril Lavigne…and none of her songs either…same with all things related to Simple Plan…so try to sue me if you dare!

Lawyers- look at Hekele hopefully

Don't even think about it pea-brains…

Lawyers- Darn…..

Be My Valentine-Part 3

Hekele jumped for joy as she ran around the house. It was Saturday, the day of the dance, and she was happy. She was wearing her headphones and listening to Simple Plan's "Me Against the World" while sweeping the kitchen floor for Ms. H.

"I'm a nightmare, a disaster…that's what they've always said…I'm a lost cause, not a hero…But I'll make it on my own! I'm gonna prove them wrong…ME AGAINST THE WORLD!" she sang with her eyes closed, still dancing and sweeping.

She felt someone tap her shoulder and she jumped a mile.

Kachie laughed, "Ha…that was good! I could hear you all the way upstairs you idiot! If you're gonna sing, at least sing the song we were practicing, we're gonna need it later."

Hekele had taken her headphones off and was listening to Kachie with a grin, "Whatever…hey, should we tell Kagome that she has to sing tonight?"

"Hekele, do you tell the person that you're about to kidnap that you are about to kidnap them?"

"I do, that way they don't chicken out and get stage fright…"

Kachie seemed to ponder this, "Good point…"

They chatted about their scheme for a while as Hekele swept the floor. Kachie was going to call Kagome into the garage for help and then they intended to tie her up and force her to practice with them…unless she came willingly of course.

"Think she'll like the idea?" Kachie asked. Hekele nodded.

"She'll have a ball…trust me."

Kagome walked into the kitchen then and stared at the two conspiring friends for a moment before speaking, "What on Earth are you two doing? Aren't you supposed to be cleaning the garage Kachie? Mom said that we could spend the night in the Feudal Era if we actually worked today."

Kachie growled, "I know…I was about to, but then I got bored…hey, aren't you on bathroom duty?"

Kagome grinned, "I just finished, I've been awake and cleaning longer than you…"

Hekele watched as Kachie gave a grudging sigh and walked away. _At least now it'll be clean enough to practice in…_ she thought, shaking her head.

Kagome sat in a chair and stared at her friend as she began to sweep once more, "So…what're you wearing tonight?"

"…A dress…"

"There's a first…and what did you buy Sesshoumaru? Rin?"

"I bought Rin one of those necklaces…like the ones we bought the guys. It's a heart one with pink and red beads…and I bought Sesshoumaru a roll of duct tape."

"Liar."

"Duh."

"Oh come on! Tell me! I'll tell you what I bought Inuyasha…"

"…I had no clue what to buy him…he has got to be the most difficult person to shop for, I swear…in the end I bought him a Rolex that I had seen him looking at when you were showing me that article about Evanescence in YM last week. He really seemed to like it…so I ended up going to the store and buying it for him…" she said, unsure. Kagome smiled.

"Well, you saw him admiring it right? If that's the case, I'm sure he'll love it! Bet you can't wait 'til Monday night to give it to him!" she jeered.

"Whatever…I can wait…now…what did you buy Inuyasha?" Hekele asked, wanting to get her 'reward' for giving in. Kagome looked thoughtful.

"Ok…I know this sounds stupid…but I bought him a ring…and a chain so that he can wear it as a necklace. He saw it in a picture and thought it looked neat, so I got him a nice gold chain and a ring with a sapphire stone in it with a dragon design…and as a joke present, I bought him a Yoda figurine…"

Hekele cracked up, "I still can't believe I was able to force him to sit through all five Star Wars movies…besides Yoda really freaking him out, he was pretty intelligent about the whole thing…he even thought that Episodes 1 and 2 sucked compared to the originals…I was laughing soooo hard…"

Kagome giggled, "I remember, you woke up Souta and he ended up watching the last movie with us…"

"Heeeelp! The boxes fell on me! I'm stuck!" came a distressed yell.

Hekele shook her head. _ At least she could have come up with a better signal…good lord…_ "…Let's go help her…"

Feudal Era:

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin and Sango tore through their bags of clothes looking for an outfit to wear to the festival. They had been at it for an hour…

Kagura and Kanna walked into the hut then and looked at the demon lord's aggravated expression, "Girls taking too long to look good?"

"Oh leave me alone," he said. Kagura pouted.

"I'll tell Hekele that you were being mean…" she said. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.

"She'd probably say, 'Good job,' and walk away snickering at you."

"True…"

"So what brings you two in here anyhow?"

"Wondering what was taking them so long to decide what to wear," Kanna said.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, "Of course…"

Sango turned around and growled, "Hey! Unlike men, we women have this need to impress people, so leave us alone!"

Rin put her hands on her hips, "Rin told Sango-san that Rin and Sango-san should have picked out their outfits yesterday…" Sango growled again and went back to searching for her favorite dress. It was a black sleeveless one with a silver dragon embroidered into it. (AN: Remember it from my first fic?)

"I know…hey! I found it! And here's the pink dress you were looking for!"

Rin shook her head, "How did Rin's dress get into Sango-san's bag?"

"Not a clue…but we found it!"

Sesshoumaru rubbed his forehead…he felt a headache coming on…

Future:

Hekele couldn't believe they had actually convinced Kagome to help them. She and Kachie had cornered her and begged her…then they told her _why_ they were begging her.

Kagome's mother had picked up their instruments from the school and brought them home and placed them in the garage. They had decided to surprise the boys by singing/playing a song or two at the dance. They wanted Kagome to sing with them.

Kagome had simply stared at them for a moment before diving into the idea, "What songs do you have in mind? Let's get to work!"

Hekele and Kachie knew a bunch of songs by heart and had practiced them for the past few weeks. Only a few days ago did this little scheme work its way into their minds.

They had all decided to sing.

Kagome was going to sing "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne while Hekele and Kachie sang back-up and played their instruments. After an hour of practice, the three had it down pack. None of them could wait for that night.

"Think Inuyasha will pick up on the whole theme from "Sk8er Boi?" Hekele asked jokingly. Kagome nodded.

"Probably, but it'll be funny anyhow…"

Kachie stood up from the hood of Ms. H's car and stretched, "Let's get all packed and dressed so we can head to the other era and chill before we go to the dance…"

Hekele nodded, "Okie-dokie dopey…let's go!"

"I'm not dopey!"

Feudal Era:

Sesshoumaru smiled as Hekele's scent reached his nose. Inuyasha popped his head into the hut.

"They're early…how the hell are we suppose to wait for them at the well if they are early?" he asked, exasperated. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.

"This was a gesture towards us…we were supposed to be surprised you idiot…" he said as he exited the hut after his half-brother.

Hekele, Kachie, and Kagome walked calmly into view a moment later, with overnight bags slumped over their shoulders. They looked stunning. They were already dressed in their clothing for the dance, and were positively lovely.

Kagome was wearing a dark blue, sparkling, spaghetti strapped, dress that extended just past her knees with a with shawl over her shoulders; her hair was done in a half ponytail.

Kachie was wearing a black tank-top dress with roses outlined in red glitter that extended to her ankles and had a black shawl to go with it. Her hair was down as usual.

Hekele was wearing a maroon spaghetti strapped dress with black glittered roses, much like Kachie's dress, and had a black lace shawl to go with it. Hekele's dress only went to her knees and she wore her hair as usual.

The boys were quite surprised. They had expected the three to dress up, yes, but they had not expected them to actually wear dresses…at least Koga and Sesshoumaru were surprised, Kagome wore dresses all the time, it was Hekele and Kachie that were bewildering everyone.

Koga was the first to speak, "Kachie…you look incredible…you should wear dresses more often…they really flatter you…"

Kachie blushed but put her foot down, "The only reason that I am wearing a dress now is because of the dance…I can guarantee that you won't see me in another one until Sango and Miroku's wedding…got it?" Koga actually chuckled.

"…Got it Runt…"

"Stop calling me that!"

Sesshoumaru blinked a few times before recovering from the surprise at seeing the two in actual dresses. He gave Hekele a slight smile, which widened a bit when he saw her blush.

"…You look quite lovely as well, the dress suits you…" he said uncertainly. He wasn't the best at paying compliments; he thought that she was probably the most beautiful woman that he had ever had the pleasure of gazing upon, now more than ever…but he didn't exactly know how to tell her that…

Hekele's blush deepened at the compliment, "Arigato Sesshoumaru-sama…"

Inuyasha feh'ed after a moment of awkwardness, "So…not that I'm complaining or anything…but what's with the early arrival? We leaving early?"

Kagome smiled, "Nope…we just decided to hang out here before we went to the dance…is that a problem? We can leave you know…"

Inuyasha quickly, but gently, grabbed her arm when she turned to leave, "Oh no you don't…you came here, and now you're stuck here…there's no leaving 'til we go to that festival…"

Kagome grinned, "That's what I thought dog-boy…"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at the two as they began to bicker once more and tentatively wrapped his arm around Hekele and gave her a small hug.

"How long do you think they'll bicker for this time around?" Hekele asked him, laying her head on his shoulder. Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Oh…probably until we arrive at the festival…then they'll have other people to annoy besides ourselves and each other…"

In the Future…in the school parking lot:

"You were right…they're still bickering…" Hekele said as they stepped out of Ms. Higurashi's van. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.

"I was hoping, however, to be _wrong_…" he said. Sango stepped out after him and rubbed her head.

"Lovely…Miroku hasn't even groped me yet and I have a huge headache…"

Miroku hopped out of the front seat, "Hey! I'm offended by that…" Inuyasha growled.

"Why? We all know that you'll grope her at _least_ five times before the night is through…"

"Hey! Don't go giving the hentai any ideas!"

Ms. H. rolled her eyes as the last of the group got out of her van. Then she turned her attention to Kagome, "Hun, I'm going to drop of the stuff around back ok? I'll be in there in a few minutes, ok?"

"Ok mom, see ya!" her daughter called out to her as she drove to the other side of the building. Rin wandered over to Hekele and Sesshoumaru and gave Hekele a hug.

"What stuff?" she asked her. Hekele grinned and looked at both her and Sesshoumaru as she spoke.

"You'll see…"

Inside, ten minutes later:

Rin, Shippo, Kohaku, and Kanna were following Souta, whom was feeling a bit better, around the kids' area. There were games and such for younger children there, and the four were expected not to bee seen for a while.

Kagura was walking around and watching all the different people interact and such. She found it interesting, and found herself actually taking part in random conversations from time to time. She was glad that she had developed an addiction to magazines and television during her visits to this era.

Sango and Miroku had elected to try some of the food and some of the 'older kids' games before the dancing started. They saw Hekele and Sesshoumaru standing by one of the games and walked over to them.

"So…the great Sesshoumaru is going to play a game eh? Which one is it?" Miroku asked slyly. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and Hekele smiled.

"I dragged him over here because I love DDR and felt like playing…" she said. Sango grinned.

"You mean that game for your PS2? They have it here? Can I challenge you?" she asked. Both boys looked confused.

"…What type of game is this?" Sesshoumaru asked curiously. Hekele grinned.

"A dancing one. You can face off against other people and whoever hits the steps correctly for the longest period of time wins. It is really fun."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes but Miroku grinned, "This ought to be interesting…"

"NEXT!" the attendant yelled. Hekele and Sango stepped up onto the game platform and selected a song, "Livin' La Vida Loca'.

"Ready Sango?"

Sango grinned, "Are you?"

Just then, the music started and the steps appeared on the screen. The two girls danced their hearts out as the music blared. They had faced off all the time on Hekele's PS2 game, but this was even more fun. After three full songs of perfect footing, a small crowd had gathered to watch the two dance. They were all cheering for either one girl or the other and everyone was having a good time.

"Hekele! The dance floor is being arranged! We need to get over there ASAP!" Kagome could be heard yelling. Sesshoumaru turned to find them and looked at Inuyasha in question. The hanyou/now human shrugged.

"Hekele! Don't make me come up there!" Kachie yelled from behind Kagome. Hekele turned around stuck her tongue out at them. Sango looked at Hekele through the corner of her eye.

"What must you go to the dance floor for Hekele?" she asked as she continued to dance. Hekele shrugged.

"Come over there and see…"

"Shall we end this then?"

"Sure…on the count of three, we both hop off, ok?"

"Ok, then…1…"

"2…"

"3!" the two yelled as they jumped off of the platform together. The music stopped and they faced their new 'fan club'.

"Sorry, but if we were to keep this up, we would be here all night, let's give someone else a turn!" Hekele said jokingly. She and Sango walked over to where Miroku and Sesshoumaru were staring at them.

Miroku just looked at Sango, "Sango-chan certainly can dance can't she…?" Sango nudged him with her elbow.

"If any perverted words follow that sentence I'll slap you and leave you here."

Sesshoumaru glanced at Hekele a moment before choosing his own comment, "Why were Kagome and Kachie asking for your presence at the dance floor?" Hekele shrugged.

"Like I told Sango…Come over and see…" she said slyly. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at her childishness, but put his hand in her own as he led her toward where Kachie and Kagome had gone.

"…You were quite skilled at that game…could you have beaten the slayer?" he asked. Hekele grinned.

"Usually, our wins go fifty-fifty…but I think in a couple more rounds I might have beaten her…unless I keeled over first anyway…" she joked. Sesshoumaru smiled a bit as they reached the dance floor, in which a stage had been set up.

"All right, we are here…now what's going on?" he asked, quite curious with her secrecy. Hekele smiled.

"You'll see in a few minutes…now…I have to find Kachie and Kagome…you wait here…and if you don't, I'll get Kaede to make you a rosary!" she declared as she bounced off around the stage. Sesshoumaru just stood there, bewildered with her behavior. Inuyasha and Koga appeared behind him and sighed.

"I think the three of them went loopy, how about you Sesshoumaru?" Koga declared. Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"I wonder sometimes…"

Backstage:

"So…are you two ready for this?" Kagome asked. Hekele and Kachie nodded.

"Oh yeah…this is going to be fun…" Kachie said. Hekele just grinned.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a special treat for you today! We are going to start off the dance with a live performance!" The three took at deep breath as they got into position and waited for the curtain to be drawn.

"Give it up for: Kagome Higurashi, Hekele Adams, and Kachie Runa!"

Dance floor:

The three boys whipped their heads towards the stage in shock when the announcement was made. Sure enough though, when the curtain was drawn, there they were.

Suddenly, Hekele and Kachie began playing a song. It was a fast paced song, and the crowd all cheered when they recognized it…then Kagome began singing…

"_He was a boy…she was a girl…Can I make it any more obvious?_

_He was a punk…she did ballet…What more can I say?_

_He wanted her…she'd never tell…secretly she wanted him as well._

_All of her friends stuck up their nose, they had a problem with his baggy clothes!_"

Then all three began to sing the chorus…

"_He was a sk8er boi, she said see ya later boi, he wasn't good enough for her._

_She had a pretty face, but here head was up in space._

_She needed to come back down to Earth!_"

The three were all standing there in awe as the crowd around the stage cheered for the three performers. The girls looked like they were having the time of their life up there…

"_5 years from now…she sits at home…feeding the baby; she's all alone!_

_She turns on tv, and guess who she sees?_

_Sk8er Boi rockin' up MTV!_

_She calls up her friends; they already know, and they've all got tickets to see his show!_

_She tags along, stands in the crowd, looks up at the man that she turned down!_"

The crowd was just living up the performance and dancing happily to the music. Ms. Higurashi could be spotted taping the performance; she needed something to embarrass the girls with when they got older…

"_She was a sk8er boi, she said see ya later boi, he wasn't good enough for her._

_Now he's a super star, slammin' on his guitar…_

_Does your pretty face see what he's worth?_"

"_She was a sk8er boi, she said see ya later boi, he wasn't good enough for her._

_Now he's a super star, slammin' on his guitar…_

_Does your pretty face see what he's worth?_"

Hekele and Kachie took over with their instruments and played the music as though it were second nature. Sesshoumaru and Koga couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the stage. The girls could be full of surprises, they knew, but this was up and over the norm. Then suddenly, the three girls began to sing as one.

"_Sorry girl but you missed out._

_Well tough luck that boi's mine now._

_We are more than just good friends._

_This is how the story ends_

_Too bad that you couldn't see._

_See the man that boi could be._

_There is more than meets the eye._

_I see the soul that is inside…_"

Kagome was staring straight at Inuyasha as she sung the lyrics to the song. After a few seconds of holding her gaze, Inuyasha understood what was going on. The song was being used as a metaphor for their relationship…and _he_ was the 'skater boy.'

"_He's just a boi,_

_And I'm just a girl…_

_Can I make it any more obvious?_

_We are in love._

_Haven't you heard?_

_**How we rock each other's world?**_"

Then the three girls picked up the end chorus together once more.

"_I'm with the sk8er boi,_

_I said see ya later boi._

_I'll be backstage after the show…_

_I'll be in the studio, singin' the song we wrote_

_About the girl you used to know._"

"_I'm with the sk8er boi,_

_I said see ya later boi._

_I'll be backstage after the show…_

_I'll be in the studio, singin' the song we wrote_

_About the girl you used to know…_"

The crowd cheered and whistled for the three performers after the music stopped, and after a quick bow, the three disappeared behind the curtains. The DJ began to play his music and soon the crowd was dancing once more. Sesshoumaru, Koga, and Inuyasha made their way to the stage to greet their loves when they came out, and they hadn't long to wait.

Hekele was the first to poke her head out from behind the curtain, "Uhhh…hi guys? Like the show?" Kagome and Kachie followed suit and slowly walked out from behind the curtain.

Inuyasha just blurted out what the other two were thinking, "When did you guys plan this little performance? I mean, wow! You had the ENTIRE gymnasium cheering you on!" The three girls blushed crimson and Kagome pointed at Hekele and Kachie.

"They planned it a while ago and they JUST recruited me this morning…so…how did we do?" she asked. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her in a small hug.

"Well, if the reaction from the rest of the crowd wasn't clear enough, I don't know what to tell you!" he said. Koga began to fuss over how Kachie could play the drums with the best of them and laid on as many compliments as he could think of, making Kachie laugh most of the time. Sesshoumaru led Hekele by the hand out near the dance floor.

Hekele knew that he didn't like talking in front of other people, it was one of the things that made him himself. So she followed knowingly when he nodded slightly to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she hers around his neck and the two began to dance. She laid her head on his shoulder and smiled.

"…You certainly are full of surprises this night…" he said casually. Hekele smiled.

"Well…I wanted to make it an interesting night…what, aren't you having any fun?" she joked. Sesshoumaru smiled a small smile.

"I am enjoying myself…yes, but I am a bit concerned with you building a rather extensive fan-club while we've been here…" he said with a hint of amusement. Hekele giggled.

"Someone getting jealous?" she asked. Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Of course not…I was merely concerned about the poor unfortunate soul that tries to flirt with you while I'm within a fifty foot radius…" he said tonelessly. But he cracked a smile when Hekele openly laughed.

"You will never cease with the mind games will you?" she questioned. Sesshoumaru squeezed her a bit and grinned.

"Whatever do you mean by that?"

Feudal Era, around one in the morning:

The children were all asleep, as were most of the older party-goers. Hekele and Sesshoumaru were sitting outside looking at the stars and leaning against the wall of Kaede's hut. They had danced off and on for most of the night, and had walked around the different games and food booths and such exploring. The two ended up taking turns dancing with Rin a few times, since she felt a bit left out after a while. Over all, it had been a very rewarding experience for everyone.

"So…did you have fun?" Hekele asked. Sesshoumaru gave her a soft smile.

"I told you before that I was enjoying myself…" he said. Hekele shrugged.

"Yes, but we really wanted to make it special for everyone…and we really weren't sure if you would have a good time…" she said softly. Sesshoumaru gave her a slight squeeze.

"You needn't concern yourself…I am certain that everyone was happy with how the night went…" he said. Hekele watched as he took something out of his pocket and placed it in her hand. It was a small, wrapped package.

"…Consider this an early Valentine's Day gift…" he said uncertainly. Hekele gave him a curious look as she carefully unwrapped the package. When she saw what was inside, she smiled.

The beads inside the glass figure were the same colors as those in his, royal blue and gold, but the figure itself was a pixie. Hekele smiled as he took her name necklace from her hands and gently fastened it around her neck.

"…Thank you…thank you so much for the necklace…it means a lot…" she said softly, giving him a hug. Sesshoumaru smiled once more and carefully pulled her into his lap and held her close. They sat like that for a while before Hekele broke the silence.

"…So…what possessed you to get a pixie charm?" she asked jokingly. Sesshoumaru smirked.

"You and pixies have something in common…" he said, drawing out his response. Knowing that he was playing another mind game with her, she sighed and gave in immediately, being too tired to beat around the bush.

"And what, pre-tell, is that?" she asked, a little annoyed. Once again, Sesshoumaru smirked.

"You both get into all sorts of mischief and adore playing jokes…" he said.

Hekele whacked him in the arm.

**Me**- Ok…another chappie all done…

**Kachie**- She apologizes for it being longer than the other two, but there was so

much that she wanted to do with this chapter…and, ya'll got a song out

of it!

**Me**- Yea…again, sorry…OK! I had a new idea! I think, that since there are a lot

of things that are going to happen in this story, then every so many chapters,

I'll have a universal chapter, that focuses on everyone! It will usually take

place after each cycle, so your first universal chappie will be the one

focusing on my birthday, because that is when the entire plot begins to take

effect. The next chapter will have a bit of the beginning to the plot at the end

of it…but in the universal chappie, it will all begin to take shape and will

have a lot of stuff in it….it could be your first super long chappie as

well…so…yea…I hope you all approve of the idea…

**Kachie**- Wow…that certainly is a lot of typing for an author note…

**Me**- I know…I typed it too fast…I have finger cramps…

**Kachie**- Oh well…just soak them in some warm water…hey! I got some for

you…let me wrap up those poor blistered fingers for my best buddy…

**Me**- (looks at Kachie with adoration,) Thank you best friend…

**Kachie**- Oh…don't thank me…thank super glue, plaster, and duct tape! (Wraps

Hekele's fingers so that they look like mittens and are so tight that

Hekele can't move her hands.)

**Me**- AAAHHHH! You fiend! NOW I CAN'T TYPE!

**Kachie**- (Holds her rifle and cocks it…) Review…or else she'll never write

again…..

**Me**- HELP ME! THIS CHICK IS PSYCHO!


	4. Be My ValentinePart 4

Loving Thru the Trials of Love 

Wow! You guys rock! I know I've said it before…in my other story…but it really makes me happy when I get reviews. It makes me feel like people appreciate me and my writing…it is an awesome feeling too! I also like it when you guys check out my profile and read my other stories too! I now have two one-shots posted…and I've got some positive feedback on both! YAYNESS!

Well, here is my Sango/Miroku chapter…it is on Valentine's Day…and after school, the girls are going to the Feudal Era to spend the evening with the guys. Bet you can't wait to hear what all the gifts are can ya? I know that it took me forever to update…but I had a major problem with the story…my new evil doers lacked dimension…I couldn't picture them…I know what I want for a plot…but the evil people eluded me…

Now, however, thanks to Kachie, (who was kind enough to poke my brain until she found and smashed the '**BIG-RED-BUTTON-OF-EVIL-IDEAS-AND-SUCH**'.) So, now I have a plan for them…how they tie into the story…and even what they look like! OMIGOD!

Oh…and I've also been sicker than a dog for the past two days…I mean, why on earth would someone get the flu on Spring Break! My GOD! My normal temperature is 97.7degrees…yesterday, it was 101.1 and today it was 100.1. Ladies and gentlemen, my temperature hasn't been that high in **_four years_**! I couldn't even get out of bed! The last time my temp. was that high, I began to hallucinate! Seriously! But, despite my horrid stomach and headache, along with my immense dizziness and aching muscles, I have decided to sit at the computer and write the last few pages of this chapter for you…are you happy now? I SHOULD BE RESTING!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! No songs…no characters…no awesome t.v. shows….(starts crying all over again…)

**Be My Valentine: Part 4**

Sango stretched her arms up into the sky as she stood up from her bed. She loved the crisp morning air. There was snow everywhere, and a light snow was falling even then. Sango had been nice and warm in her bed, but when she felt the refreshing cold on her face, she knew she had to get up. It was Valentine's Day. She touched the necklace around her neck and smiled. Miroku had purchased it for her and had given it to her at the festival. She also discovered that everyone else had received one as well, even Kagura. It was a bit of a joke, but it was a sweet one.

Sango's necklace had purple and black beads, like Miroku's, but her glass charm was of a small boomerang. She had laughed when she had seen it…

**_Flashback_**:

_Sango and Miroku sat on a bench in the gymnasium watching everyone else dance; they had just sat down for a rest. Koga and Inuyasha weren't going anywhere near the dance floor, now that the girls were done singing, but were sticking to the games. They could hear Inuyasha get frustrated every time he lost at a game, and laughed._

_Miroku took something out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Sango with a stupid grin._

_"This is for you, Lady Sango, I hope you like it…" he said honestly. Sango looked at him oddly before opening the package; she smiled a soft smile when she saw what it was._

_"…Thank you Miroku…it was sweet of you to get me a gift…you didn't have to…" she said as she put it on happily. Miroku leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the lips._

_"…Yes I did…you are well worth any gift that a man could give, Sango-chan…" he said gently. Sango blushed._

_"…Miroku…"_

_"Yes my love?"_

_"Get your hand off my ass NOW!"_

_**End Flashback**_

Sango smiled to herself once more as she dressed and walked outside. She was pelted with a snowball.

"Oops…sorry Sango-san! Kohaku-kun and Kanna-chan started a snowball fight and Rin isn't quite good at aiming hers yet…" Rin yelled as she ran to the girl to give her a hug in apology. Sango wiped the snow from her face, but smiled.

"It is all right Rin…I was just startled is all!" she said. Suddenly, another snowball hit her in the back of the head. Sango growled and picked up a fist full of snow. She packed it down and chucked it at Kanna and Kohaku, whom were trying to scramble away from her and Rin. She hit Kohaku in the back, causing him to fall over.

"Aaaahhh! Ok, ok! I'm sorry Aneue! Jeez! You throw too hard!" he yelled back at her, laughing. Kanna helped him up and giggled as she helped him brush himself off. Sango looked at the three children and rolled her eyes.

"You three are soaked…you should go and change your clothes before you get sick…" she said in a motherly tone. Rin giggled.

"Demons do not get sick Sango-san!" she said. Sango shook her head.

"Sorry, force of habit…but still, I'm sure even demons can get ill once in a while…better safe than sorry…" she said, shaking her finger. This act caused all of them to laugh, and the three children scampered off.

"You would make a good mother…" came a voice from behind Sango. She turned and smiled sweetly at Miroku.

"Thanks, but I do not intend on becoming one anytime soon, so quit hoping for something that ain't gonna happen monk!" she said, narrowing her eyes. Miroku held up his hands, as if to say, "No tricks."

"I wasn't implying anything…for once…I was being truly honest…you would make an excellent mother…your natural instinct to look out for younger ones is what implies this to me," he said, being completely honest for once.

Sango smiled at him, "You had better not be implying anything, or else you'd not live long enough to see today's end!"

Miroku chuckled as he put an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, "I know…that's why I'm being careful today…"

"Smart monk…" she muttered. Miroku smiled.

"Why thank you." The two began to walk around the village leisurely, not having anything better to do, when Miroku spoke once more.

"I've been thinking a lot lately…"

"Hn, that's a first."

"Hey, hear me out Sango…I've been thinking about something you disclosed to us quite a while back."

Sango gave Miroku a curious look, "What exactly?"

Miroku smiled, "Well, you said that when everything was said, done, and over with, that you wanted to rebuild your village…and now, since Naraku is dead, the Jewel is no more, and Kohaku is alive and quite well, you can do that…"

Sango gave him a confused look, "What exactly are you getting at Miroku?" Miroku gave her a squeeze.

"…I would like to help you…and I'm sure that Kohaku would want to help as well…we can go from time to time…just the three of us if you want, and we can rebuild it bit by bit…" he said carefully, knowing how much this had meant to Sango.

Sango, quite surprised with his proposal, looked at him for a moment before jumping on him and squeezing him in all her delight, "…That would be wonderful Miroku…I am so glad that you suggested this…"

Miroku blushed slightly and hugged her back, "…It was you who suggested it Lady Sango…I merely remembered…although…"

Sango looked at him critically, "Although…what?" she asked. Miroku smiled, looking at their demonic markings.

"Although…I do not think it wise to call it a _demon slayer_ village…after all…we don't want to discourage friendship with the builders…" he said jokingly. Sango breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"You may have a point there, Miroku…" she said. She leaned in and gave Miroku a kiss on the lips, which he quickly deepened. (AN: Stupid lech…) Suddenly, his mouth felt cold, almost frozen, and when the two parted, Miroku could see his own breath. Sango backed away quickly and when met with his bewildered stare, winked and walked away in the direction that the children had gone. Miroku just stood there in shock.

"Despite the fact that she is an ice demoness…that," he said, to no one in particular, "…was _hot_…"

Afternoon, Feudal Era…still:

"…Wow Sango…the monk's gonna be on cloud-nine forever now…we'll never bring him down…" Kagura said, laughing loudly. Sango had been acting fishy all day, and Kagura had wanted to know why. Aside from smelling a bit like Miroku, which Kagura guessed was because they had probably had a quick, 'make-out session,' nothing seemed to be different about her…so Kagura had finally given up on guessing and had gone to the source. Sango had told her about her little addition to their kiss and Kagura had nearly fallen over laughing.

"It's not that funny!" Sango yelled, now sorry that she had ever told Kagura. The wind demoness put her hand on her shoulder and smiled at her as calmly as she could.

"You're right…it's not that it's funny, I just didn't expect you to tease him like that! You are the last person I would expect to do something like that…" she said. This only made Sango feel a little better.

"But still…it's not that big a deal…" she said. Kagura smirked.

"Oh, I beg to differ. With the way you've been acting all day, I'd say it was a big deal to you…and since the one you were…toying with…was Miroku…then I'd say it was a big deal to him too.

Think about it. You are so careful about your relationship with him: you don't let him grope you despite the fact that you are his fiancé…good job by the way, you get jealous as hell when he gropes other girls even though you know he doesn't mean it, any perverted comments towards you or anyone else is a fatal crime, and you also, in general, are the stiff of the relationship. By messing with his head like that, you, in a weird, twisted, and slightly perverted way, opened up to him a bit and let go of yourself for a moment. You teased him, which you have never done before."

Sango rolled her eyes, "Actually…I did tease once…We girls were bathing that night that Rin and Shippo returned to us after countless hours of walking and searching to the point of exhaustion, and we heard a noise in the bushes. Figuring it was Miroku, Hekele formulated a plan to make him want to reveal himself. I basically said how I felt about him in a tragic, hopeless manner and he ran right out of his hiding place to see me. Hekele and Kachie then tripped him and drug him into the water and held him under for a moment before getting out and hurriedly getting dressed. When he resurfaced…we found that he had a broken nose…"

Kagura rolled her eyes, "That was different, you were tricking him and getting even…this time, however, there were no tricks involved…Hey, if his nose broke, how come it healed so well?"

Sango grinned at the change of subject, she liked the gossip much more, "Hekele set it for him…and all the while he was staring at the poor girl's chest…then he groped her…and then Sesshoumaru yanked her behind him and threatened the monk with his life for being so indecent…yeah…it was the first time we ever saw Sesshoumaru show affection…it was like the apocalypse…" Kagura's eyes widened.

"My god…the monk can't stop being a hentai long enough to get his nose set…what an airhead…"

Sango smiled, "Yeah…but he's my airhead…"

Future:

"Miroku…what has gotten into you…you seem…out of it…" Kagome asked as she passed the said monk on her way to the kitchen. Miroku sighed.

"My Lady Sango…surprised me today…" he said. Kagome arched an eyebrow and looked at Hekele and Kachie, who looked just as confused.

"Well…don't elaborate, please, we'll find out from Sango what happened…you would exaggerate…and ewwy images would be stuck in our heads…" Kachie said, shuddering. Miroku chucked a pillow at her and she ducked.

"Wow…he went from 'out-of-it' to 'leave-me-alone-or-pay' pretty quick…Sango must've confused him somehow…" Hekele said as she followed Kagome into the kitchen. Kachie stretched and did the same after shooting Miroku one of her warning glares.

Miroku himself rolled his eyes and followed the three girls into the kitchen, where they were preparing food for their dinner later on in the evening.

Kagome shot Miroku a look, "So…why did you come here anyway? You knew we had school…"

"Ah, yes, but I also knew that you would be home by this time…" he said as he sat at the kitchen table. The girls looked at him oddly.

"Which brings us back to the original question…what are you doing here?" Kachie asked. Miroku grinned.

"To score some free food before the dinner of course!" Hekele hit him upside the head.

"I'll make sure to give you Kachie's food then…"

"Hey! That's cruel!"

"Hey! I'm not _that_ bad a cook!" Kachie growled. The four paused and looked at one another before laughing at themselves. Miroku reached for a banana that Hekele was cutting up to put into a fruit bowl when she slapped his hand.

"I was serious Miroku…hands off!"

Feudal Era…an hour later:

"It was sweet of you to give us a hand Miroku, considering how much food you _sampled_ before…" Kagome said as she jumped out of the well with her arms full of food. Hekele and Kachie followed, and were surprised by what they all saw. Inuyasha, Koga, Sesshoumaru, and Sango were standing there, waiting for them.

"Wow…to what do we owe this honor?" Hekele joked. The boys shrugged.

"We just felt like waiting for you this time…that's all," Inuyasha said, looking at Kagome. Kagome blushed but beamed at him. Sango looked around for a moment before speaking.

"Where is Miroku?" she asked. Just then, Miroku leapt from the well, juggling about six or seven different food dishes.

"Help…I think I'm gonna drop them…please…" he whined. Sango shook her head and took a few of the dishes from him.

"What did you do now?" she asked apathetically. Miroku whined.

"Nothing…" Kachie whacked him upside the head.

"You sampled all the food! My god! We weren't even done yet and you were trying to eat it!" she complained. Miroku gulped.

"But it smelled so good…" he said. Kachie growled.

"So? We said 'no,' and 'no' means 'no'…**not** 'eat-it-when-they-aren't-looking!'" she huffed. Sango sighed.

"Miroku…you will never learn…"

After dinner in Kaede's hut:

"That was delicious food, you three really cook well," Sango said to her three friends. Koga moaned.

"I'm stuffed…" he said.

Kachie giggled, "Maybe you shouldn't have had thirds…"

Hekele and Kagome beamed at Sango proudly. They had worked very hard on the meal, as had Kachie, and they were very happy with how it turned out. Kagura, Kanna, Kohaku, Rin, and Shippo also seemed happy with it.

"I must say that I am impressed with you guys, the food was awesome," Kagura added as she snatched the last piece of fried shrimp that Kagome had made. Shippo and Rin were munching on some of Kachie's home-made chocolate-chip cookies contently while Kanna and Kohaku were arguing over who got the last of Hekele's shish kabobs. Sango, deciding to end the argument, walked behind the two, grabbed the kabob, and snapped it in half. She handed half to each of them.

"Now, that wasn't too hard was it?" she asked. Both of the pre-teens blushed and shook their heads as they ate. Miroku chuckled at the sight and nudged Inuyasha.

"Here comes the next generation of couples…" he said in a low tone. Inuyasha nearly spat out his Coke when he started laughing. Kagome looked at him.

"And what is so funny?" she asked. Inuyasha grinned.

"Oh nothing…the perverted idiot just made an interesting observation…I'll tell you about it later…" he said. Kagome pouted a little but then beamed as she looked at Sango.

"Hey…do you think we should give the boys their presents now?" she asked. Sango, whom had gotten Miroku a gift a while back, nodded furiously.

"Yes! We must give them their gifts!" she said happily. The boys just stared at them.

"…You got us gifts?" Inuyasha asked in disbelief. The girls all beamed.

"YUP!" they all said simultaneously. The girls were all surprised when they saw the boys smirk.

"…We have gifts for you as well…" Sesshoumaru said, breaking the newly formed silence.

The girls looked at them oddly. "But, you already gave us our gifts…the necklaces…" Hekele said, confused. Miroku piped up.

"Ah, but those weren't our only gifts. Those were a sort of sentimental joke…your real gifts are yet to be given," he said. Sango rolled her eyes at him.

"Why not get started then? We'll open the gifts one at a time and show them off!" she said, coming up with an idea. She noticed as Kohaku began to blush and silently wondered why.

"That sounds like a lovely idea Sango…let's retrieve the gifts and begin, shall we?" Miroku asked. Sango eyed him suspiciously.

"You're up to something…aren't you?" she asked. Miroku just grinned.

"Of course not my lady Sango…why ever would you think such a thing?" he asked, feigning hurt.

Sango narrowed her eyes, "Call it good instinct…" Miroku shrugged and went to retrieve his gift for her. The others in the hut simply looked at one another for a moment in silence before doing the same thing.

After collecting their gifts, everyone sat in a circle nervously, not knowing what to do next. Again, Sango was the one to get things going.

"Why don't Inuyasha and Kagome go first?" Sango asked, not wanting for Miroku and herself to be first.

Kagome grinned evilly as she handed Inuyasha one of the two small boxes that she had in her lap, "Here you go…you have to open _this_ one first…"

Inuyasha looked at her skeptically, but opened the little wrapped gift. There was a box. Quite curious, he opened the box and emptied the contents into his hand. He nearly had a heart attack when a miniature Yoda fell into his hand.

"What the hell? I thought I was rid of this little freakish dude when I was done with that creepy movie marathon!" he said, quite annoyed. Kagome burst out laughing and gave him a hug.

"I was kidding! It was a joke gift! Geez…you need to lighten up! Here's your real one…" she said as she handed him an even smaller package. Inuyasha took it without a word and ripped off the wrapping paper. Inside was a very nice box. He opened it and froze. There was a beautiful golden ring on a silver chain. The ring looked almost exactly like the necklace that he had purchased for her. It had the same dragon with a sapphire eye on it. His mouth dropped open as he lifted it out of the box and examined it closer. Without a single word, he put it on and looked at Kagome, beaming.

"Do you believe in fate?" he asked. Kagome looked at him oddly. Inuyasha gave her his gift and watched with grinning eyes while she opened it cautiously. When she opened the box, she gasped. All eyes were on her as she pulled the dragon necklace from its box and simply stared at it for a few moments. Then, as Souta had predicted, Kagome glomped Inuyasha in all her joy.

"Thank you Inuyasha! It's so beautiful! I can't believe they have the same design! It's perfect!" she exclaimed, hugging him happily. Inuyasha flushed but smiled at her all the same. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered to her softly.

"No…**_you're_ **perfect…but the gift you got me is a pretty close second…Thank you…" he said.

The girls in the group all simultaneously 'awed' and the boys all 'feh'ed', thinking their gifts to be better.

"Ok…now that those two are in la-la land, why don't you and Miroku go, Sango?" Hekele asked. Sango nodded slightly and turned to Miroku.

"All right then. Here you are Miroku…" she said slowly, as she handed him her gift, which lay in a very long box. Miroku, in turn, handed her the larger one of the two that he had for her.

Miroku curiously tore at the paper of his extremely large gift. It was too long to be a sword…but too wide to be a staff of some sort. He looked at Sango curiously and she smiled patiently, evidently happy with his reaction so far. His gift for her was still in her lap, untouched until he had opened his.

Turning his gaze back to his gift, he found that the casing for the gift was a wooden box with intricate designs. He mused at the craftsmanship for a moment before realizing something.

"This is not from the other era…as the other gifts are…" he mused, once again looking at Sango curiously. Sango's smiled broadened at this. Apparently, this voiced realization pleased her. Miroku, now more confused than ever, opened the box's lid and his eyes widened in shock. In it was a long, staff-like weapon. At the top was a bell-shaped blade which looked sharper than all get out. It was about eight inches across. On the bottom of the staff was a crescent moon shaped blade with the sharp edge on the inside. It was also about eight inches wide.

Miroku just stared at the weapon intensely before speaking, "…This is a Chinese Monk's Spade…it was first made and used about 1300 years ago…I have read about it and its uses way back when I was still studying to live as a monk…it is a truly remarkable weapon…" He stared at Sango in disbelief for a moment, completely shocked. Sango herself was smiling from ear to ear.

"Yes…I got it a while ago…there was a festival in a nearby village and I knew there would be weapons' shops…I also knew that since becoming a demon, you have not been able to use your spiritual powers…and that includes your sacred staff. I figured that you would need a new weapon to use…and when I went through the entire festival and hadn't seen anything like it, and after learning its history and such…I thought that this would be the weapon for you…pick it up!" she commanded gently. Miroku complied and nearly dropped it in shock. He could suddenly feel his demonic power flowing through it and focusing it. He looked at Sango.

"…It's focusing my power…" he mused aloud, so that the rest of their friends weren't totally clueless as to what was going on. Sango beamed once more.

"Yes…I took it to Totosai and had him reinforce it with his talents…and since he accustomed it for you, it can focus your energy into itself for more strength and abilities…and only you will be able to wield it properly…sort of like Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga and Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga," she explained.

Miroku was touched. He hadn't even seriously considered getting a new sort of weapon…but she had found him one that would be easy for him to use even as a beginner, and had also had Totosai strengthen it for him. He knew that this had probably cost her more than just a pretty penny, and he was much more than merely grateful.

"Sango…this is a very exquisite weapon. I really do not know what to say. It is not seen much anymore, even in China. It is beautifully crafted, and since I am used to wielding a staff, this shouldn't be as awkward a transfer as would a sword or another weapon…it is perfect for my needs…Thank you very much…I love it almost as much as I love you…" he declared finally. Again, the girls 'awed' and the boys had to fight an 'ooh' at the interesting weapon. Well, Inuyasha, Koga, and Kohaku were eyeing it with curious looks while Sesshoumaru looked at Hekele warningly, for she too seemed bewitched by the new sharp object…

"Wow Sango…that was some nice thinking…I would have never thought of getting a former monk a weapon…cool…" Shippo said. Kagura and Kanna simply nodded their approval of the well-planned and exotic gift.

"Ok Sango…now open his!" Kagura said curiously, wondering what the idiot had gotten her. Sango nodded, feeling relieved that Miroku liked his gift. She looked at the gift in her lap curiously and began to unwrap it. It was wrapped in what seemed like miles of wrapping paper and everyone gathered around her curiously, wondering now what on earth the monk could have gotten her that he needed all that wrapping paper.

Suddenly, Kohaku's face turned pale, "Miroku-sama…you didn't…I thought you were joking…" he said to the older man seated across from him. But he was too late as Sango finished unwrapping the mystery gift…

A red, silk, bra and pair of panties.

Sango was mortified. She dropped the gift and abruptly stood up, facing Miroku with her eyes hidden beneath her bangs. Everyone minus Miroku backed up in fear of the angered demoness…even Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha…

Miroku gave her a goofy, yet very guilty and fearful grin as she just stood there, "I-it's a joke gift…hehe, you know, like the Yoda that Kagome got Inuyasha? Joke? Funny? Not serious? Not worth killing me over? I hope…"

Sango abruptly grabbed her boomerang and hit him with it as hard as she possibly could, tears in her eyes, "You think that's funny? Embarrassing me in front of our friends? Here I go, buying you an expensive but well needed gift, and then I spend even more money on it to have poor Totosai work on it for me so that it was strong enough for a demon to wield! I spent time and effort into making sure that it was perfect for you and then you go and embarrass me like this! It is **not** funny!" With that said, Sango stormed out of the hut, and everyone left could smell the salt from her tears.

"Miroku! You are such a hentai! Why in God's name did you do that?" Kagura yelled, hitting a mostly unconscious demon in the head once more. Hekele and Kagome were equally disturbed.

"If I were you, and thank Buddha I'm not, even I wouldn't have done that! What were you thinking!" Kagome yelled, hitting him in the head as well. She and Kagura stalked outside to calm down poor Sango.

Hekele just looked at him angrily, "You are so stupid! Does you idiocy know no bounds? You knew that it would embarrass her! You had to have known! Yet you upset her anyway!" She then proceeded to kick him in the ribs before walking outside after Kagura, Kagome, and Sango.

Kachie then, for the first time during the ordeal, spoke, "Rin, Shippo, Kanna, Kohaku?" The four looked at her curiously as she motioned for them to walk over to her, but complied. Kachie scowled past them at Miroku.

"…Sit on him…" Once again they, confused but very angry with the former monk, obeyed. Kachie herself walked over to the now moaning and squashed hentai.

"Miroku, Sango is a very nice person. She is forgiving. She is trusting. She is concerned for others before herself. Hell, she even loves you, which means that she needs all of those qualities, PLUS patience. So yes, Miroku, Sango is also a _very_ patient woman. _You_ just made her feel like a fool in front of all of us. Granted, we all know who the **real** fool is, but she was hurt.

When you put someone through that kind of degrading humiliation, not-so-nice things happen. One, they aren't as kind to you the next time around. Two, they don't like to forgive as often. Three, they lose faith and trust in you. Four, their concern for you whittles down. And five, their patience wears so thin that it may never return. So, if I were in your position, I would get my ass off the floor, _find_ the person I pissed off, beg for forgiveness, and give them their **_real_** present. Personally though, I wouldn't forgive anyone for making me seem so stupid in my own eyes. 'Cuz if you don't respect yourself, then who is going to respect you?" she said to him in a low and threatening tone. She motioned for the kids to get off of him and then walked over him to leave the hut, making sure to step on his back on the way out.

Kanna, Shippo, Rin, and Kohaku left the hut after her, but they walked around the convicted hentai.

A semi-conscious Miroku looked up at his comrades from his painful spot on the floor, "So…I screwed up…huh?"

Inuyasha growled at him, "Gee, ya think? Thank you for ruining the day."

Koga growled and tapped the lightning demon on the head, "I must admit, that had to be the dumbest thing you could have done. You know that Sango hates it when you do ANYTHING perverted towards her or any other female, so why would this be any different?"

Miroku sighed, "Because she is my fiancée, knows how much I love her, knows how much I joke, knows how hard bad habits are to kill, and knows that I would never mean to make her so upset…" It was a hopeful response, but not an accepted one.

"…Sango may be and know all of those things, but perhaps she feels…_pressured_ when you act in the low way that you are so accustomed to. She has made it apparent that she has her virtues, and perhaps your…_teasing_ makes her feel as though you do not respect them…that may be what has upset her so," Sesshoumaru said in his wisest tone. Inuyasha and Koga couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Seeing that his three comrades had a point, Miroku sighed, "So…I should get up and follow Kachie's advice…ne?" Koga whacked him upside the head.

"…Wait about an hour or so for her to calm down some…else you may not survive the experience…"

Two hours later:

Miroku slowly walked around the village looking for Sango. His nose could have easily told him where she was, but he decided to take the extra time to think up a proper apology.

His friends had made a very good point while yelling at him…especially Kachie and Sesshoumaru. They had explained _why_ Sango had been so disturbed by his joke, whereas the rest of his comrades had simply yelled at him.

Kachie's words had been dramatic, even for her, but they had grasped his attention like he knew they were meant to. Sango was an amazing woman who was everything that Kachie had said and then some, but still, she could be fragile once in a while.

And then of course came Sesshoumaru's suggestion that perhaps Sango took it as being pressured by him. This rather disturbed Miroku; he hadn't meant it in such a fashion, and would never dream of making Sango feel that way. He had only meant it as a joke, a simple joke that he knew _may_ anger her at first, but he had intended on redeeming himself with his true gift anyhow, to smooth over the prank. Now it seemed that it was his only option…accompanied by a heart-felt apology of course.

Miroku walked around for another few minutes, thinking. Perhaps another reason that she had been so upset was that he had given her the gift in front of the rest of their friends? She herself had accused him of embarrassing her in front of them, so it was quite logical that it was another reason for her anger. Maybe if he had given her that gift in private, she wouldn't have been so upset. Yes, he was certain that he would have been slapped once or twice, but he had counted on that ahead of time either way.

Miroku stopped walking and stretched slightly, sniffing around for her as he did so. Her scent seemed to be coming from the edge of the forest. Miroku was a bit perplexed by this, but headed in that direction anyhow, his true gift clutched tightly in his right hand.

Sango sighed as she sat in the snow beneath the trees. Miroku could be such an insensitive idiot. Why had he gone and purchased her a **bra** and **panties**! She had thought that he had more sense than that! And in front of all of their friends too!

_I don't care how much he says he loves me…that was inexcusable!_ she thought to herself angrily, chucking a fistful of snow at a tree in front of her. She just couldn't believe that he had done that to her. Sure, she had teased him a bit that morning with that kiss…but it had been a private thing between the two of them…she hadn't made a huge show of it or do it with the knowledge that it would embarrass him. It was completely different!

"Sango-chan?" came a voice behind her. Sango snorted and closed her eyes.

"Don't '–chan' me. I'm still mad at you," she said coolly. Miroku grimaced and walked over to her. He sat down next to her and looked straight ahead as he spoke.

"…I am truly sorry for embarrassing you Sango-chan…I only meant to jest…" he said slowly. Sango gave an aggravated sigh.

"I know that Miroku, but in front of our friends? And that…_gift_? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

"…Unfortunately, I am beginning to. Please understand Sango-chan, I meant nothing by it…it was only a joke to make you turn red and make everyone else laugh…it was not your real gift…" he said.

"…But…why would you want everyone to laugh at me?" Sango asked, hurt.

Miroku smiled slightly, "Well, the master plan behind my idiocy is quite simple. I was going to give you the gift, get slapped once or twice for my…habits…and then make up for it with your real gift…and then I was hoping that I'd get bonked on the head for not giving it to you sooner, thus directing all teasing at myself…so…to be honest, you were never a target. Had I expected you to get so angry, I never would have bought those for you…I am sorry if I did humiliate you…but from what torture I went through from our friends in your defense…I am the one who has been utterly humiliated…can I be forgiven?"

Sango sighed slightly and opened her eyes. She looked straight ahead as he was, refusing to meet his gaze, "I will have to forgive you sooner or later…won't I?"

Miroku smiled a bit more at the way she said it, but knew that he wasn't out of the woods quite yet, "No, Sango-chan, you don't ever have to forgive me if you do not wish to…not that I would recommend that though…" Sango looked at him oddly.

"And why not?" she asked. Miroku smiled.

"Because then I would have no reason to give you your gift, and, believe it or not…I truly wish to do so…" he said as he took her hand and gingerly placed his gift in it. Sango looked at the gift and sighed once more.

"I am not materialistic Miroku…" she said. Miroku tilted her head to face him and smiled at her once again.

"…I know that Sango-chan…You have never been materialistic…and I never wish for you to become so…if you did, then I would lose part of the selfless Sango that I cherish…" he said. Sango looked at him.

"What are you up to now?" she asked. Miroku tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, all the while smiling at her still.

"No more jesting…I promise…this gift is for real…" he replied.

Sango sighed again and slowly began to unwrap the gift. Once again, it was wrapped in a mile of wrapping paper. Sango scowled and glared at Miroku, who openly laughed.

"Do not worry, I only used so much paper this time because I didn't have any of Hekele's beloved bubble wrap…Go on…finish opening it!" he said. Sango obeyed and finished unwrapping the gift. What she saw made her jaw drop. Inside the mountain of paper were two jade combs with pink lilies made out of rose quartz. Sango stared at the precious things in her hands in awe.

Miroku took her reaction as a good sign and took one of the combs. He pulled back some of her hair and carefully placed the comb as to hold it back. He smiled happily when he saw Sango blush at his action.

"It is said that lilies are the purest of flowers…so I thought that they would be perfect for you…and they look more beautiful on you than I anticipated…" he said lovingly. Sango lightly touched the comb still in her hand and then looked at Miroku.

"They are lovely…thank you very much Miroku…I…do not know what else to say…" she said to him. Miroku smiled.

"Only forgive me for my earlier blunder…it would be much appreciated…" he joked. Sango narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, I'm not quite ready to forgive you yet…I told you, I'm not materialistic…" she muttered. Miroku gave her a pleading smile.

"I beg one thousand pardons." he said jokingly. Sango smirked.

"Nine hundred ninety nine."

Miroku looked at her, confused, "What?"

Sango smirked once more, "You said that you begged one thousand pardons…that was one…your have nine hundred ninety nine to go…" Miroku gave her another pleading look.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nine hundred ninety eight…keep them coming…this could take a while…"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nine hundred ninety seven. Hey, Miroku, why was Kohaku blushing when I suggested that we all show off our gifts?"

"Oh…that was because he bought Kanna one of these necklaces…" he said, touching his for emphasis. Sango's eyes widened.

"You're joking! What shape and which colors?"

"It was a lily, and the colors were a light pink and light blue…Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked when he saw her narrowed eyes.

"I wasn't joking Miroku…" she said lowly. Miroku sighed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nine hundred ninety six…One last question: How did you know what sizes to get when you purchased those…items…?"

Miroku gave a guilty smile, "Well…I've groped you enough…it ended up being easy to get the right measurements…hehe…" Sango punched him in he arm, hard.

"Ow…" was all he said as he nursed his poor appendage. Sango glared at him once more and he looked into her eyes pleadingly. When she shook her head, he sighed, defeated.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nine hundred ninety five."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nine hundred ninety four."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nine hundred ninety three…"

**Meanwhile, somewhere in modern era:**

"Lady Oyu…the preparations have been made…will you be creating the portal soon?" asked a cloaked figure. The voice was quite masculine and gruff. The woman in question, Lady Oyu, turned from her mirror to regard the cloaked figure.

"Kotaro, do not question this one's plans…this one has already told you that she is going to cast her spell here, and then in the past as well. It takes a great deal of energy to time travel…and fifteen years is much longer than you realize…five hundred years _could_ leave this one bed ridden for weeks…" she said firmly, abandoning her mirror and walking to her bed.

Kotaro deeply inhaled her intoxicating scent as she walked past him. She smelled of goldenrods, apples, and cinnamon. It was a spicy scent to go with her spicy attitude. Lady Oyu was a tall and slender woman, perfectly cut and shaped, with long blue-black locks that extended to her knees. Her eyes were iced blue and radiated with her cold intentions. Her luscious lips were naturally blue as well, but still remained as beautiful as she. Her skin was almost as pale as snow.

"My lady Oyu…" he said, as he saw her walk past her bed to her table. It was pure obsidian, black as midnight; the darkest and most powerful stone in existence, "…have you regained enough power to create the spell?"

Lady Oyu gave him an apathetic look, "This one is not weak, Kotaro. This one has enough power to survive and shall make another portal to the Feudal Era in one week." She drew out a small blade and cut her index finger, allowing her blood to flow freely. She pressed it to the stone and began to draw Japanese characters. (AN: the characters she drew are in bold.)

"_**Love** that no one can break…_

_**Bonded** by strings of pure gossamer…_

_Allow the** flames** of hell to** reunite**…_

_**Past troubles**…_

_And new **lovers**…_

**Burn **the** strings** of gossamer… 

_Untilthey **break**…_

_And the** love **they** represent**…_

_Turnto **ash**…_

_And** die**…_

_Because the** ones **they** love**…_

_**No longer exist**…_

_**Do** as** I command**…_

_And **O love**…_

_**Curse **them** all**!_"

The blood on the obsidian table glowed a bright red before burning itself into the surface. Soon the entire stone was glowing a deep red. Wind began to blow fiercely in the room and books and papers were flying everywhere. Lady Oyu glowed red like the stone, forcing her power into it. Her eyes glowed red for and instant. Then everything stopped.

Lady Oyu stood shakily and turned to Kotaro, her eyes now heavy with fatigue. She gave a half-hearted smile to her companion as he approached her. She had done it. The spell was cast. Disaster would befall her enemies.

Lady Oyu took a step and found that she could no longer support her own weight. She felt herself fall, but never hit the ground.

"My lady must be more careful…your energy is almost non-existent as of now…" came Kotaro's voice from above her. She felt him hook his arm under her legs and shift her so that he could carry her properly. She looked at him and gave him another tired smile.

"It is done. Now all we have to do is wait…and the spell will slowly begin to take effect…they will find it impossible to remain together, and thus shall make their defeat certain…" she said tiredly, resting her head on Kotaro's shoulder as he made his way to her bed. She felt him gently set her down and cover her.

"…Our enemies shall never torment us my lady…they will never have the chance. And then in fifteen years, when the time is right, we will rule my love…" he whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Lady Oyu touched his cheek.

"We will not have to wait fifteen years…once they are apart, nothing can stop us…we can rule **now**…"

**Me**- Ta-frickin'-da! Are you happy now?

**Sesshoumaru**- What's the matter now?

**Me**- I'm still sick…and my brother turned evil…

**Sesshoumaru**- What did he do now? Hit you in the eye with his katana again?

**Me**- No…but that did hurt…What he did was worse…I was taking my morning

shower, minding my own business, and using the only warm water I was

guaranteed to have all day. Then, he apparently woke up and went to our

upstairs bathroom…and of _course_ he flushed the toilet…which turned my

nice warm shower, into a freezing downpour from hell! I screamed. It

was so cold that I had to get out. My hair still had conditioner in it too…I

had to rinse it in the sink…and that was _cold_ too! I got dressed and stalked

out of the bathroom all pissed off, and he was sitting at the table, eating a

pop-tart, and grinning at me…and do you know what he said?

**Sesshoumaru**- What did he say?

**Me**-…he said, "Mornin' Hekele…did ya have enough hot water?"

**Kagome**- Ouch…that had to suck…Souta did that to me once…I just about

killed him…but he managed to escape…

**Kachie**- Umm…yeah…Souta…hehe…

**Koga**- Run Kachie, I think she's onto you!

**Kagome**- (getting all pissed off and ready to kill) So…it was you…

**Kachie**- RUN!

**Me**- (watches Kagome chase Kachie all over room) Whatever…oh, if you are

curious to see what Miroku's weapon looks like, then go to:

http:store1. Heeeeellllllppppp! 

**Kagome**- (grabs Kachie's rifle of doom and cocks it) Review…or there will be

ice showers for all of you!


	5. Birthday Bashand Crash

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hi! How are all my peeps? Good I hope. It is nice and warm and happy and all that nice and fuzzy stuff over here…and so far, the Michigan weather hasn't screwed me over…WOOT!

…I didn't get many reviews for the last chapter…it made me sad…but then again…I got a couple of nice ones…from those of you who DID review…cries for those who didn't

Ok…yes, I am going to tell you what everyone else got for Valentine's Day, but I had to have that whole thing happen with Sango and Miroku…and since the chapter WAS suppose to be mostly about them…I thought I would just work around most everyone else…ok?

This is my smorgasbord chapter…meaning it has a little of everyone in it…it takes place on my birthday, February 21st…so…yea…woot! Also…the beginning of the bad things is going to happen…dun-dun-DUN!

Disclaimer: **Me**- What do I own?

**Readers**- Nothing!

**Me**- When will I own it?

**Inuyasha and Co.**- NEVER!

**Me**- Awe damn…I was hoping you had better news than that…

**Birthday Bash…and Crash…**

Hekele sat up and stretched. The newest alarm clock from Hell was blaring in her ear and she was fast becoming annoyed. She hit the button and it obediently shut itself off.

The cranky teenager crawled out of bed and gathered up her school uniform. She walked out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom, still barely awake. She turned on the hot water and stepped inside, allowing it to relax her like only a hot shower could.

After getting out and toweling dry, Hekele got dressed and headed downstairs, still partially asleep. It was Monday after all, and Lord knows that waking up on a Monday is hard as Hell to do. She walked into the kitchen only to be greeted by five smiling faces: Ms. Higurashi, Mr. Higurashi, Souta, Kagome, and Kachie.

"G'morning peoples…Why are you smiling?" she asked when they didn't stop smiling. Kagome laughed.

"Hekele, do have any idea what today is?" she asked. Hekele shrugged.

"Monday?"

"Well duh…but what _else_ is today?" Kachie asked. Hekele groaned.

"The end of the weekend and the beginning of another week of Hell?" she tried. Souta slapped his forehead.

"You are so dumb sometimes Hekele, this isn't something that _you_ were supposed to forget…" he mumbled. Hekele noogied him and then sat next to him.

"Well then, you tell me what today is…or at least give me a hint…please…my happy morning spirit wore off already…" she said, laying her head on the table and shutting her eyes.

Ms. Higurashi smiled a bit and brushed back some of Hekele's hair as she placed some breakfast in front of her, "Honey…I know it's a Monday, but don't tell me that you forgot your own birthday…Hekele?"

Hekele never heard her…she had fallen back asleep.

Feudal Era:

"So, what time are we supposed to go through the well?" Inuyasha asked Sesshoumaru as the two attempted to track down Miroku. Sango and the girls were going to bathe in the nearby hot spring, and needed someone to keep tabs on the perverted demon.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes as he picked up Miroku's scent, "At 4:30…damn monk, he's already heading towards the spring…" Inuyasha rolled his eyes as well when his own nose confirmed this discovery.

He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted in the direction of the spring, "Hey! The damn pervert is already heading your way…watch out!" He then put his hand to his ear, waiting for some acknowledgement that he had been heard.

Sango, apparently, heard him, "Thanks Inuyasha…we've found him…HENTAI!" Inuyasha winced at the scream, and then once more when he heard the sound of a reverberating slap. Damn, Miroku never could just _look_, could he?

Sesshoumaru once again rolled his eyes, "That idiot is going to lose her if he keeps this nonsense up…I hope he realizes that…" Inuyasha shrugged.

"Actually, I think the only way Sango would ever leave him is if he were to grow an actual interest in another woman…other than that, she'll just end up slapping him senseless…" he said, pausing to think about it for a moment. Sesshoumaru tilted his head in a slight agreement. The two began walking back towards the village slowly, neither being in a big hurry to baby-sit the kids.

"So," Inuyasha began, side glancing his half-brother, "what time is it _now_?"

Sesshoumaru looked at the Rolex that Hekele had gotten him for Valentine's Day, "About 10:30 in the morning…why?" Inuyasha groaned.

"Cuz I'm bored…and I need something to do…" he said. Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Well, I'm sure that Rin wouldn't mind making you 'pretty' again instead of Jakken…want me to ask her?" he asked slyly. Inuyasha cringed.

"Nope, I'm good, forget I ever said anything."

Again, Sesshoumaru smirked, "Are you afraid of a little girl, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha growled.

"Hell no…I just don't like all those damn flowers!" he said. Sesshoumaru chuckled, earning him a glare.

"Inuyasha," he began, "it's winter…there are no flowers…"

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh…"

Future:

"…Kachie…is Hekele awake yet? She slept through the whole hour…" Kagome muttered, poking her. Kachie turned to Hekele and poked her, earning a growl.

"Nope…still sleeping…Hekele…it's lunch time…WAKE UP!" she yelled into the sleeping girl's ear. Hekele jumped a mile and snapped awake. She looked at the two girls sitting next to her and groaned.

"…Just tell me I wasn't snoring…ok?" she requested, standing up and gathering her things. Kagome smiled.

"Very quiet, and minimal droolage…" she joked. Hekele growled.

"Ha ha…Very funny…how long was I out?" she asked as they walked towards their lockers. Kachie sighed.

"All hour…seriously, what is wrong with you? I've never known you to sleep through that class, AND you forgot that it was your birthday…Are you feeling all right?" she asked. Hekele shrugged.

"Nothing…I'm just tired…I didn't sleep well last night…" she confided. The other two looked at her skeptically.

"Why not?" Kagome asked. Hekele shrugged once more.

"…I had a nightmare…and I didn't get back to sleep until early this morning…" she said. Kachie sighed.

"What was it this time?" she asked. Hekele sighed.

"…Never mind…it wasn't good…let that be enough…" she said. In truth, she wanted to talk about it…but why ruin her birthday by talking about her father?

_I dreamed that he came here to Japan and found me…and kidnapped me…I know that it sounds stupid…but…bad things happened while he had me…and I dreamed that no one found me…which, since we are only human in this era, is very plausible…_ she thought…looking at the floor. Kagome and Kachie looked at her with concerned faces. She was about to…

"Uh…Hekele? Watch out for the-"

SLAM.

"…pole?" Kachie finished for Kagome, wincing. Hekele sprung back up quickly.

"I meant to do that…"

At lunch:

"So…what do you want to do today?" Kachie asked Hekele as she sat down with her lunch. Kagome nodded.

Hekele yawned and began to nibble at her nachos…which were edible for once, "I don't know, eat a shit load of ice cream and cake…other than that, nothing really…"

Kagome rubbed her temples, "Ok, you are totally ruining YOUR day here…why don't Kachie and I take you shopping after school or something? That could be fun…" Kachie nodded earnestly, wanting to make her friend happier. Hekele continued to slowly eat her nachos.

"…You guys don't need to do that…I really couldn't care less…you know that…" she muttered. Kachie slapped the back of Hekele's head.

"Ok, when people offer to spend money on you…you don't turn them down…OK? I didn't see you complaining when Sesshoumaru bought you a Valentine's Day gift!" she scolded.

Hekele blushed and her fingers flew to the charm bracelet on her wrist. It was stainless steel and already had a few charms on it. There was a dog (because she was part dog demon,) an umbrella (part rain demon,) a book (she loved to read,) music notes (she loved listening to music,) and a pixie charm (meant to tease her about the necklace.) She loved the little things dearly and only took off the bracelet at night and when she bathed. She wore it everyday…just like the necklace.

"Well, that's different…I never asked him to buy me anything, he did so without my knowledge…and had he asked me what I wanted him to buy me, I would have answered him as I answer you…" she said truthfully, still fingering the bracelet. Again, Kachie whacked her in the back of her head.

"Baka…we're taking you shopping…got it?" she growled. Hekele smiled slightly.

"If you must…"

Kagome grinned, "Yes, we must."

Hekele rolled her eyes at her two friends and nodded her head slightly in consent. Nothing would stop them from going through with their goals…even if their goals involved spending good money on her. She sighed.

"You two are impossible…you know that right?" she asked, half already knowing the answer.

As if to confirm this, Kachie whacked her upside the head once more, "Well duh…we wouldn't be best friends if we weren't able to keep up with your level of stubbornness…"

Hekele growled, "Why on Earth do you think it's safe to hit me upside the head? I am going to kill you later!" Kachie gave a sheepish grin.

"Cuz there are a whole bunch of people here that would witness you slicing me open with that plastic fork?" she said, quickly jumping up and away from Hekele's long reach. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"You aren't very bright, are you Kachie?"

**Somewhere else…:**

"Lady Oyu…are you ready for the spell? Are you strong enough?" Kotaro asked softly. Lady Oyu gave him a firm look.

"Yes, Kotaro, this one is well strong enough to form the portal. However, you must be able to care for this one once we are through…it will steal much of this one's energy…" she retorted. Kotaro gave her a weak smile as he took her slender hand in his and tenderly pressed it to his lips.

"I understand that it will, my love…I only wished to be certain that you were ready for such a far reaching portal…" he replied carefully. Kotaro then removed his hood from his head, exposing his face to his beloved. His hair was short and brown, but very untamed. His face was chiseled to, in Lady Oyu's opinion, perfection. It was long, mature, and betrayed the wisdom he held beyond his years. His eyes were a honey tinted hazel, and were so much warmer than Lady Oyu's own orbs.

Lady Oyu gave a tired sigh as she approached Kotaro and touched his cheek, "Once the portal is open, it will remain open, therefore giving us more freedom to go back and forth as we please. This one is using a different spell…this will be most to our advantage…" Kotaro took her hand and kissed it tenderly.

"It will be glorious, my lady, with you as queen…" he murmured softly. Lady Oyu smiled, though it never quite reached her eyes. She retracted her hand and lightly ran it through his hair before walking towards the place that she had deemed fit for the portal.

She stopped before the obsidian table where she had performed her last spell and smiled a twisted smile. No doubt the spell would show its first effects relatively soon. When she opened the portal, the previous spell would be given a jump start. The extra power flowing through the air could possibly even create a wave of energy, but Lady Oyu was not concerned. She continued on to a painting on the opposite wall. It would serve as an excellent cover for the portal.

When she was about five feet from the painting, Lady Oyu stopped and gazed at it longingly. The work of art depicted an angel. She was falling from what appeared to be the clouds of heaven with the most painful look on her face. Her wings had been ripped out of her back, and she was bleeding badly. She looked as though she had been betrayed. Her hair was long and blackish blue, her eyes were ice blue, and her lips were tinted blue as well…

"…It is truly a striking painting my love…and the angel resembles you remarkably…" Kotaro said lovingly, having walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and buried his face in her neck, placing there a small kiss.

Lady Oyu scowled slightly, but she was relieved that it had gone unnoticed by her love, "Yes…there does appear to be a resemblance…do you know what this painting depicts?" Kotaro shook his head and laid his chin on her shoulder. Lady Oyu smiled slightly.

"…It is a painting depicting an angel that had fallen from God's good grace. She had fallen in love with a human and was bearing his child. This sin displeased God greatly, and she was banished onto Earth until the child was born. Once the child was born, however, she was sent to Hell, leaving her beloved on Earth to raise their half-breed child alone. Other angels fell in love as well, and were given the same fate. God considered the half-breeds impure, and they were called Nephilim…" she said sadly. Kotaro nodded into her shoulder slightly.

"Continue…you did not seem as though you were quite finished…" he said softly. Lady Oyu nodded slightly.

"Very well…It is said that the Nephilim were God's chief reason for flooding the Earth, as well as to punish man…they were completely wiped out…" she said sadly. _And the fallen angel in this painting stayed buried in Hell for 3,000 years before escaping…and vowing revenge on all that is 'pure'…even now…her heart aches for those she was forced to abandon…_ she finished to herself.

"How tragic…this seems like a familiar topic to you my lady…do you enjoy angelology?" Kotaro asked lightly. Lady Oyu stiffened slightly but kept her voice smooth.

"You could say that…it is a…_fascinating_ topic…now, this one must be opening the portal…" she said, ending the subject. She pulled away from Kotaro and walked the rest of the way to the painting. She placed her hand upon it and closed her eyes.

"_Tragic images of long ago…_

_Depicted so well upon the canvas…_

_Open the door…the door to another time…_

_A time when feudal lords ruled all…_

_And demons roamed wild and free…_

_Where unlikely love…_

_Protects all…_

_Open the door…_

_To a village afar…_

_Far…_

_From the poisoning love…_

_But close…_

_Close enough to touch it…_

_Without being bitten…_

_Open…_

_Take all of the energy…_

_And remain…_

_Open…_

_For all eternity!_"

Lady Oyu's eyes began to glow red as they had done the previous week. She focused all of her energy into her hand and transferred it into the painting. Soon the painting was glowing red as well.

Lady Oyu did not relent, however. She was waiting for the final burst of energy…the one that would drain the majority of her power from the depths of her reserves…the part that would leave her near death…

Then it came.

Lady Oyu screamed as the power was ripped from her body and transferred to the painting, and as soon as it was all there, a giant wave of energy burst forth and hit her, sending her flying backward. Kotaro jumped behind her to catch her, but was too thrown back against the far wall. The wave of energy spread past the building and out into the world…and there was little doubt that even the least in tuned mortals would feel its effects…both on this side of the portal and the other…

**With the girls**:

Kagome and Kachie were talking about what they were going to force Hekele to buy while Hekele herself walked between the two shaking her head.

_Actually, I don't have to buy anything…they're buying stuff for me…duh…so, why am I so glum? Come on Hekele! It's your birthday! Wake up! Be happy! And forget that dream! It already cost you a huge bump on the head, DON'T let it ruin the rest of your day! Ha! I win! Oh crap…they caught me talking to myself again…_

"Hekele, are you ok?" Kagome asked. Kachie rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Did the voices have anything interesting to say?" she asked. Hekele blushed.

"Not really…Bu-" she was interrupted when she felt a huge rush of energy hit her from behind. She screamed as it sent her flying forward. Kagome and Kachie were screaming as well, but all were short lived.

Kagome was landed painfully on the pavement, hitting her head and knocking herself out instantly. Kachie was thrown into a nearby tree, slamming her back hard against the trunk and narrowly missing a large branch. She too fell into the dark realm of unconsciousness. Hekele hit her head on the same tree but flew a few feet further before stopping as well. She was out before she hit the ground.

**Feudal Era**:

Koga growled as he headed towards the well. Inuyasha was being far too annoying, and he had decided to go ahead early and visit with Ms. Higurashi, Souta, or perhaps even Mr. Higurashi.

Koga was just that annoyed.

As he neared the well, Koga leaped forward, expecting to land inside. What he got was a huge rush of energy forcing him in the opposite direction. Koga yelped in surprise as he was thrown backwards into a tree. His speed being turned completely against him, he ended up flying through two more trees before stopping.

"Holy shit…what the hell was that…?" he asked himself as he cautiously sat up a minute or two later. He rubbed his head and then stood up slowly. He didn't smell any other demons, save for his friends back in the village, so he was quite confused.

Deciding that he was not the only person that would have been effected, he sped back to the village.

**In Kaede's Village**:

Kohaku carefully helped Kanna up with one able arm as he rubbed his forehead with the other. He turned to his sister, whom was across the room looking over Miroku's arm, from which a loud crack had been heard.

"…It's not broken…thank goodness…" she breathed softly. Miroku himself had hit his head quite hard on the wall as well, and was semi-conscious. Sango held up three fingers in front of his eyes.

"How many fingers do you see?" she asked. Miroku groaned.

"Seven…eight? No wait…I think there are nine…" he muttered truthfully. Sango sighed.

"Oh dear…that can't be a good thing…"

Kohaku turned his attention back to Kanna, seeing as his sister was all right and tending to Miroku. "Are you ok?" he asked. Kanna nodded.

"Yeah…I'm ok…what was that?" she asked. Kohaku shrugged, just as confused.

"That's what I want to know…" Everyone turned to see Inuyasha walking into the hut while rubbing his neck. Sesshoumaru followed as well, carrying Rin, who seemed to be clinging to him for dear life. Shippo bounced in next and pounced onto Inuyasha's shoulder, making him wince for a moment before continuing over to see if Miroku was all right. Kagura ended the procession as she too entered the now crowded hut. She made a beeline for Kanna, and was relieved to see that she was all right.

"What in Kami was that odd energy?" she asked aloud. Everyone shrugged.

"I have no idea. But it was quite strange…" Sango said. She helped Miroku sit upright and examined his head further.

"Hey…looks like you guys were hit by that thing too…" Koga said as he appeared at the doorway.

Sesshoumaru frowned as he readjusted Rin, "It did not feel like demonic energy…we all would have been able to recognize that…and yet it was most certainly not pure energy either."

"It blew me through three trees! Right when I was in mid-jump too!" Then Koga paused, his face looking horrified for a moment. Inuyasha glared at him.

"What is it?" he asked. Koga's eyes were wide.

"I can't be sure…but though most of the wave hit me from straight ahead…it felt like some was rushing at me from the well…" he said slowly. Everyone's eyes widened as the information processed in their minds.

Then they all made a mad dash out of the hut and towards the well.

**At the shrine**:

Ms. Higurashi opened the door frantically when she heard movement outside, hoping that it was the girls. When she found a bunch of equally frantic friends still dressed in their feudal clothes on the other side, she knew things were worse than they had originally seemed.

"Oh dear…the wave hit you in the feudal era as well, didn't it?" she asked, already knowing the answer. They nodded slowly and made their way inside as she moved out of the way.

Her home was in shambles, things were laying on the ground everywhere, broken mostly. Kagura noticed a few bruises on Ms. H. and grimaced.

"Are you all right?" she asked her. Ms. Higurashi nodded.

"Yes, quite all right, just a few bumps and bruises. Souta is laying on the couch; he hit his head pretty bad on the desk in his room, but he'll be ok as well. My father just went to check out the rest of the shrine. He's fine…" she said. Inuyasha looked at her suddenly.

"Where's Kagome? Hekele and Kachie?" he asked. Ms. Higurashi wrung her hands and looked at the ground.

"I…I don't know…Kagome and Kachie were going to take Hekele shopping to keep her out of the hose while we got ready here…but…they never called…and I _know_ that after that…that thing that they wouldn't still have gone shopping…" she said, still looking at the floor.

Shippo was the first to speak, "…I think we should go looking for them…" Everyone else nodded and Ms. Higurashi grabbed the keys to her van.

"I don't suppose that I could ask most of you to stay here could I? Souta needs someone to stay with him, and I don't know what kind of condition the girls will be in…" she said sadly. Kagura and Kanna exchanged glances before stepping back from the group.

"Kanna and I will stay here, perhaps Shippo, Rin, and Kohaku could remain with us as well…" she suggested. Rin, in response, let go of Sesshoumaru and he let her down. Shippo took her hand and dragged her into the living room.

"C'mon Rin, let's play with some of Souta's video games…it might cheer him up to have someone to play with…" he said. Rin nodded and followed him obediently. Kohaku looked at the two and nodded slightly to Sango, signaling that he too would remain.

Sango sighed and looked at Miroku, whom she was supporting, as she spoke, "I think that we would be a mere hindrance…we shall remain here as well."

Ms. Higurashi gave them a warm smile, "Thank you…somehow I think that we'll need the extra room…now you three, change into some different clothes quickly…we don't want to draw any unneeded attention…"

**On the road**:

Everyone was looking out the windows for a sign of the three girls. Koga was seated in the front seat with Ms. Higurashi while Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru resided in the two back seats. They had driven to the school and were currently driving down the route that the girls would have taken to the mall. So far, they hadn't seen anything…

"…See anything on your side Inuyasha?" Koga asked. Inuyasha sighed.

"No…nothing…"

"Not who we're looking for anyway…" Sesshoumaru added.

There were people laying everywhere, some unconscious, but most were moving around, or trying to at least. It seemed possible that the entire city was hit.

Suddenly Koga piped up, "Uh…guys! I found 'em!" Ms. Higurashi slammed on the brakes when she saw what Koga was currently pointing to. All three girls were laying unconscious. Kagome was on the sidewalk, Kachie was against the tree, and Hekele was just past the same tree.

They all got out of the van and ran towards the girls. When they reached them, they found that Hekele and Kagome were still bleeding slightly from their heads, but Kachie was in 'ok' condition for the most part.

The boys gently picked them up and carried them to the van. Ms. Higurashi opened the first aid kit that she had brought along and took out some gauze.

"Clean and wrap their head wounds as best you can; we'll do a more through job when we get back to the house…" she said as she got into the driver's seat and started the car.

After driving for about a mile, she spoke to them again, "You know…I can actually say that I wish that they had been in the Feudal Era when this happened…they'd have been in their demon forms and would have been able to withstand most of it…"

No one else spoke for the rest of the ride.

**Two hours later**:

Kachie mumbled slightly as she opened her eyes and was assaulted by the light in her room. Within an instant, Koga was in her line of vision as well.

"…Hey Kachie…how's your head feel?" he asked her jokingly. For an answer, Kachie swatted at him angrily. Koga jumped back but smiled slightly.

"Yeah…that's what I thought…" he said, lightly placing some ice on it and holding it there.

Kachie sighed, "So, how long have you been here?" Koga smirked.

"Long enough to be drafted into the search party…you've been out for over two hours…so, what happened?" he asked. Kachie groaned.

"I wish I knew…One minute we were walking to the mall, and the next we were flying through the air and being knocked out when we landed…just that fast…I didn't even sense anything…" she said. Koga gave her a confused look.

"So…you don't know what caused the energy wave?" he asked. Kachie shook her head, and then grabbed it painfully.

"Nope…ow…Hey, do you mean to tell me that you felt it too?" she asked. Koga nodded.

"Yeah…it traveled to our time too; Miroku probably has a concussion…even as a demon, he's been acting loopy since he hit his head…I assumed that there had been a battle or something…when we got here, the house was a mess too…(and since we're all trying to figure out what happened, it didn't get picked up all that much…) Ms. H. has a few bruises and Souta hit his head on his desk pretty hard…but the old geezer was ok…" he said, bringing her up to date. Kachie sighed.

"So, you're ok?" she asked. Koga grinned.

"It takes more than three trees to put me out of commission…in my demon form at least…" he said. Kachie hit him upside the head, surprising him.

"What was that for?" he whined.

Kachie smirked, "For being so damn lucky…"

**With Kagome**:

Inuyasha saw Kagome stir slightly and sighed, quite relieved. Even in his human state, he could tell that her breathing had changed slightly, and that she would wake up soon. He began to lightly shake her, hopefully helping the slow process along.

"Kagome…Kagome…wake up…C'mon Kags…I hate worrying damn it!" he growled that last part, earning a slight chuckle as Kagome opened her eyes.

At first everything was a blur, but after blinking a few times her eyes focused on Inuyasha, whom indeed had a look of worry on his face. She gave him a slight smile and another chuckle.

"Wow…I must look pretty bad if you look _that_ worried…" she said. Inuyasha once again breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her.

"…It's not that…you were just out for two plus hours and…ok, yeah, I was a little worried…" he said, not seeing any way around admitting it. Kagome's smile broadened.

"See? Now was that so hard? Besides, you don't need to worry…I'm ok…" she said. Inuyasha had to refrain from hitting her in her head.

"Did you miss the part where I told you that you were out for over two hours or was I just talking to myself?" he asked, quite annoyed.

Kagome laughed, "I meant that I was ok _now_…and that you didn't have to worry about me…" Inuyasha grumbled to himself about how that was **not** what she really meant, earning another laugh from Kagome.

"I'm ok now Inuyasha…you don't need to be so grumpy…"

"GRUMPY! I'M NOT GRUMPY! I'M JUST WORRIED DAMNIT! WORRY AND GRUMPY ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS!"

"Inuyasha…"

"I AM WORRIED, NOT GRUMPY! WHY DID YOU EVEN SAY I WAS GRUMPY? YOU KNOW I'M WORRIED!"

"Inuyasha…"

"WHAT?"

"Please stop yelling…my head is about to split open…"

"…Sorry…"

**With Hekele**:

Sesshoumaru sat patiently by the bed as Hekele slept. Kagome had been placed in her mother's room, so all of the girls were separate. And from the loud yelling coming from that room downstairs…Sesshoumaru figured that it had been a good idea.

Rin had bounced in and out of the room every once in a while to check up on Hekele for herself, and had just informed him that Koga told her that Kachie was awake. She also let him know that Kagome was awake, which Sesshoumaru had assumed, unless of course Inuyasha had finally lost his mind and had begun to yell at inanimate objects…

Hekele began to stir slightly and Sesshoumaru quickly returned his line of vision back to her bed. She began to toss and turn a bit more violently and also began moaning in her sleep. Concerned, Sesshoumaru quickly rose from his seat on the edge of Kagome's bed and went to Hekele's. He sat at her side and felt her head. No fever.

_She must be having a nightmare…_ he thought to himself. He took hold of her wrists when her arms began to flail about, for fear that she may injure herself.

"Hekele…wake up…you're having a nightmare…" he tried, hoping that she would hear him. No such luck.

**_Hekele's_** **_dream_**

_Hekele walked slowly down an alley. She couldn't fathom why, it looked dark and dangerous. And she was human without her weapons. It wasn't a very smart thing to do. Yet, she felt herself being pulled toward the darkness of the alley. Toward the unknown._

_Hekele always liked adventure…but something just didn't feel right all of a sudden. She felt as though she were being choked by the darkness. Suffocated. She suddenly felt as though she couldn't breathe._

_Hekele began struggling and calling out for help, but the darkness encircled her neck and began to squeeze it slowly…like a snake. She struggled further when she saw the darkness around her neck become two hands. They began to squeeze her tighter and tighter, and she began to feel faint. She could breathe no more, and was quickly losing consciousness._

_"Help me! Someone! Anyone! Please!" she screamed as best she could, but with all of the abuse on her throat, it only came out as a whisper._

_Suddenly, as her eyes began to cloud over, a figure began taking shape in the darkness. The hands became arms, and the arms became shoulders, a torso, a neck, and finally a head._

_The last thing Hekele saw was her father's face…and it was full of twisted joy._

**_End dream_**

Hekele's eyes opened suddenly and she shot up in her bed, nearly knocking Sesshoumaru off. He kept his balance however and, upon seeing her frantic and rather panicked expression, wrapped his arms lightly around her trembling figure. He could feel her heart's rapid beat and carefully stroked her hair to calm her.

It took Hekele a minute or so to realize that she was safe in her room, with Sesshoumaru holding her. She breathed a deep sigh and, tears in her eyes, wrapped her arms around him too and hugged him tightly.

Sesshoumaru silently continued to stroke her hair and hold her. As the moments passed, he could feel as she began to slowly calm down. When she made move to release him from her vice-like grip, he allowed her and carefully backed away, trying to get a good look at her face.

Hekele was looking down at her lap when she spoke, "…I'm sorry about that…" It came out in a manner that made it seem small, and Sesshoumaru had to refrain from rolling his eyes at the absurdity of her need to apologize as well.

"It is quite all right…but I do wish to know what is troubling you so," he said slowly, trying to choose his words wisely. Hekele shrugged.

"It was just a dream…a really bad dream…but a dream. It wasn't like it was real or anything…" she said, trying to dismiss the said dream. Sesshoumaru caught on.

"Obviously it bothered you…or else you would probably still be asleep. I would…appreciate it if you informed me of whatever it is that is distressing you," he replied.

Hekele groaned inwardly, knowing that he wouldn't stop asking until she told him, "…It was about my dad, ok? I was walking in a dark alley, and the darkness seemed to come to life. It wrapped itself around my throat and began to strangle me…and then the darkness formed into hands…and from there arms, shoulders, torso, neck, and then a head…and then, just before I blacked out, I saw my dad's face…smiling at me like he was enjoying what he was doing…and that was it…"

Sesshoumaru pondered what she had said for a moment, trying to formulate the best way to comfort her._ Obviously, her past still haunts her…but I do not recall her ever having such nightmares before…or **any** nightmares for that matter…so why now?_ he thought to himself. "…Have you ever…had this dream before?" he asked, curious. Hekele shook her head.

"No…and the last time I had a dream with him in it was…well, last night, but _before_ that it was months…" she said. Sesshoumaru did a double-take.

"You had another of these dreams last night?" he asked. Hekele nodded.

"Yeah…it wasn't as bad as this one though…in the last one, I just kept seeing him everywhere. Everywhere I turned, he appeared there…so…yeah…I didn't sleep much after that…it was so bad that when I went to school, I ended up sleeping most of the time…I can't imagine the teachers were too pleased with me…" she said, getting off topic.

Sesshoumaru continued to ponder everything she said. Why would she begin having these dreams now? He sighed to himself, though it did not go undetected by Hekele, and wrapped an arm around her, giving her a slight squeeze.

"Perhaps it would be best to lay these matter aside for now…you were the last to wake up from that wave…hit your head on that tree did you?" he asked, motioning to a lump on her forehead with a slightly playful grin. Hekele laughed nervously.

"Umm…yeah…but I hit the BACK of my head on the tree…" Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow.

"And what, pre-tell, caused _this_?" he asked, touching her large bruise, causing her to wince slightly.

"Well, I was sleepy…and wrapped up in my own thoughts…and not watching where I was going…and I hit a pole…" she said sheepishly. Sesshoumaru chuckled.

"A pole?" he asked teasingly. Hekele winced again, this time out of hurt pride.

"Oh come on, you know what a klutz I am; don't act so surprised…" she muttered. Sesshoumaru grinned slightly and gave her another squeeze, deciding to let the amusing fact slide for the time being.

"…Let's go downstairs; I'm sure it would please everyone to see that you are all right…Rin has been worried as well…" he said, gently pulling her up into a standing position. Hekele nodded slightly and allowed him to lead her out of the room.

"Oh…there was something I wanted to tell you, but seeing as how dismal the day has been, it may not hold the same meaning…" Sesshoumaru said quietly. Hekele gave him a curious look.

"What is it?" she asked. Sesshoumaru smiled slightly once more.

"…Happy birthday…"

**Downstairs**:

Kagome had argued for about five minutes before Inuyasha would let her out of her mother's room, only to find that Kachie and Koga were already in the living room, and fixing it up as well. They had begun to help out when Kagura entered the room with Kanna and Kohaku. They had just come from picking up the kitchen with Ms. Higurashi.

Rin bounced into the room with Shippo, carrying a board game to play with Souta, still intent on cheering him up. The game was Jamanji, and it was based off of a movie. Much to hers and Shippo's dismay, however, lions, hunters, and giant plants didn't really pop out of the game as Souta described had happened in the movie.

Everyone looked up when they heard Hekele and Sesshoumaru descend from the stairs. Rin jumped up from her spot next to Souta and ran over to Hekele to greet her, jumping up into the girl's arms when she was at the bottom of the stairs. Hekele gave her a huge squeeze and let her down. Kagome was the first one to speak.

"And how was _your_ cat-nap?" she asked. Hekele shrugged.

"Surprisingly tiring…and you two?" she asked, motioning to Kachie as well.

Kachie grinned, "Not too bad…but I could have done without the throbbing headache."

"And I could have done without _his_ yelling…" Kagome muttered, elbowing Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru growled, "I think we ALL could have done without his yelling…"

"Hey!"

"Don't start now…please, it was quiet for a moment there…" Kagura complained. Kanna muffled a giggle when Inuyasha growled at her and turned her attention to Sango, whom was sitting next to a dizzy looking Miroku.

"How's he doing?" she asked. Sango shrugged.

"I don't know…Miroku, how _are_ you doing?" she questioned. Her answer was a hand on her ass. She promptly stomped her foot on his and slugged him hard in the chest, not wanting to make his head problems worse.

"Never mind him…he's just _fine_…" she muttered. Kanna muffled another giggle as Miroku opened his eyes and said a quiet, 'ow'. It was quite amusing.

Ms. Higurashi walked into the room just then, and was relieved to see the three girls up and about. "Well, thank goodness you're all right…we were worried about you!" she said to them as she approached, pulling each into a big hug. The three smiled at their mother figure genuinely. It may not be nice getting a bunch of head injuries and falling unconscious, but being worried about always had an upside.

"…Since the refrigerator is no longer working, and most of the food had to be thrown out…why don't we go out to eat…if anywhere is open…" she muttered that last part, causing Kagome to laugh.

"My mother can mutter…it's an amazing feat!" she exclaimed, earning a look from Ms. Higurashi.

"…I'll call around and see if any places are open, and I'll get the mail…why don't you turn on the television and watch the news…maybe they found something…" she said, walking towards the kitchen.

Hekele grabbed the remote from a reluctant Souta and changed the channel to the local news.

_"…Ladies and gentlemen, what you are witnessing is pure pandemonium in downtown Tokyo. People are breaking into stores and are stealing supplies in case of an emergency. Everyone is in a state of panic. Some government officials in the area have let it slip that it **may** have been a nuclear blast of some sort…but it would have to be relatively small…and so has been ruled out for the most part. No one seems to have any indication of where this blast originated. I've interviewed close to thirty people and there was nothing to be learned. I'll keep you updated as the information comes in…"_

What everyone saw shocked them. There were crashed cars and burning buildings everywhere. People were breaking windows and stealing food and gallons of water left and right. Children were in the street crying while their parents fought with other people in riots. It was awful.

Kagome's hand flew to her mouth in disbelief, "Oh my god…this is terrible…" Kachie nodded.

"Wow…who knew that that wave could cause so much panic…I mean…what's the death toll? Has _anyone_ even died? They're acting like…like…"

"Like idiots…can't they see that they are making things worse? Panicking is the worst thing to do…just because they don't know about something, they go into a huge frenzy that causes even more problems…" Koga said sternly, clearly disappointed with the human race at that moment. Kachie nodded and placed her head on his shoulder.

"…I guess the public bought that whole 'nuclear weapon' bit…that would explain the craziness…" Hekele said slowly. Inuyasha looked at her curiously.

"What _is_ a nuclear weapon anyway?" he asked. Hekele shook her head.

"It is a very powerful weapon…here's an example…it'll explain better than me telling you…The United States of America and Japan were involved in a war called World War Two, and they were on opposite sides. Japan broke a peace treaty made with the USA before the USA was ever involved, and they sent suicide bombers to bomb Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Hawaii that held most of the Navy's fleet. Lots of people died, and they never got a chance to defend themselves…save a few who were able to get into airplanes and make it off the runway before being blown up. Thousands of men and innocent women and children died…

What the USA did, was get involved in the war and started something called: The Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was responsible for the creation of something called the Atomic Bomb. When Japan refused to surrender at the end of the war, the USA dropped this bomb in Hiroshima. That bomb devastated the whole city. People's skin was burned right off of their bodies in an instant in many cases, and they were found in the positions they had been in right before they died…it was awful. An illness eventually became associated with the blast, because it arrived shortly after and was found mostly in the survivors of the blast…it's called leukemia. Now leukemia is found all over the world, but some still blame the blast.

When Japan still refused to surrender, the USA launched a second, slightly smaller bomb in Nagasaki. With all of those deaths on their shoulders…Japan surrendered…" she said, explaining as best she could, and though she was not certain the Atomic Bomb was a nuclear weapon, she did know that it was what all the people were thinking of as they bombarded the streets of Tokyo. Inuyasha nodded.

"Well, if it happened once, I can see why they are all afraid that it could happen again…" he said slowly. Hekele nodded to him and stared at the television.

Sesshoumaru took in all the information and made a silent connection with something that Hekele had told him once while discussing her past:

_We keep making stronger and stronger weapons, even though it causes more and more problems…_

"Well, in any case, nowhere is going to be open, and school is most likely going to be cancelled, so perhaps we should all just head back to your era for a few days while all of this insanity cools down…it might just be the safest thing to do…" Kagome said slowly, as though she were still thinking it over herself.

Souta looked up at her, "Could Mom, Grandpa, and I come too?" he asked. Kagome gave him a surprised look.

"Well of course! Look at it out there! I'm not leaving you three here! We're bringing Buyo and Tai too!" she said firmly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the mention of the two pets, but nodded his head in complete agreement. One look at everyone else's faces and even a fool could tell that they were all for the notion.

Kagome gave a grateful smile and walked into the kitchen, "I'll get Mom and Grandpa to pack for a few days, and I'm sure that we can get something to eat when we get there…"

Hekele nodded, "Ok then, Kachie and I will pack as well, then we'll head out…does that sound good to you guys?" Everyone else nodded in unison and the two headed up the stairs. Rin, whom had quit her game with Souta and Shippo, came running after them.

**In Kachie's room**:

Kachie rummaged through her dresser for miscellaneous things to take with her to the Feudal Era. She walked over to her jewelry box and opened it carefully. She wasn't one for jewelry, but she had a few nice things. One being the red medallion that Koga had gotten her. It was a deep red stone cut into a perfect circle, fitted into a gold design in the shape of an eye. It was quite beautiful.

Kachie opened a secret compartment in the box and her eyes widened considerably. The medallion was glowing. Kachie just stared at it for a moment before picking it up. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She was too much in shock.

She silently walked out of her room and into Kagome and Hekele's room. "Guys," she said, holding up the medallion, "…something weird is going on here…"

**Feudal Era**:

Hekele was sitting on a log outside of one of the huts. Kaede had been generous enough to provide them with as many as needed…even before she was told _why_ she had three extra visitors. Everyone was bunked with at least one other person, and some of the younger children were squeezed in with the older kids. Hekele herself was bunked with Rin and Kagome. Not that she minded. Rin always stayed in her bed when visiting the future, so it wasn't a problem.

Hekele wasn't particularly looking forward to sleep. Her previous nightmares had shaken her, and she didn't want to have another one. She also recalled what Kachie had revealed to them right before they left…her medallion that Koga had gotten her for Valentine's Day had been glowing. It still was, last she checked anyway, but it had dimmed considerably.

They all thought it had something to do with the wave, so they had asked Koga where he had purchased it. He had said that he had gotten it in an antique store in the mall…the ONLY antique store in the mall. It was made from a real ruby, but the guy running the store hadn't known that. There had been a legend behind the medallion. It was suppose to be an 'all-seeing eye' type of thing. The store owner hadn't known much of the legend, only that the medallion could detect something called, 'fallen purity,' whatever that was…

Hekele sighed. It had been quite an exhausting day. It seemed that no matter what happened, there was a way to make it worse. Hekele closed her eyes and stretched. She inhaled a deep breath and caught Sesshoumaru's scent behind her. She grinned.

"I know you're there Sesshoumaru," she said softly, knowing that he could hear her. Sesshoumaru walked out of the shadow of one of the huts and walked towards her. He sat next to her on the log.

"Why are you not sleeping?" he asked. Hekele gave an aggravated sigh and looked at him.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe it has something to do with my last two nightmares…" she said sarcastically. Sesshoumaru smirked to himself.

"Well, I do not wish for sleep deprivation to drain you…inanimate objects become quite deadly when you aren't thinking straight…" he mused. Hekele hit him in the arm.

"I knew that you couldn't leave that one alone…" she muttered. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him in a small embrace.

"You needn't worry, I doubt that you'll have those dreams here…he couldn't harm you if he tried…" he said wisely. Hekele nodded and leaned on his shoulder.

"Yeah…that's true I guess…" she replied. She closed her eyes once more, earning a chuckle from Sesshoumaru.

"Well don't go to sleep now," he said.

Hekele growled, "And why not? You said I could."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, "I said that you _could_, as in that you had the ability. I never gave you permission…" Hekele growled slightly.

"Well, why can't I?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru smiled, taking a wrapped box out of his sleeve pocket and showing it to her, "Because I have a gift for you…it _is_ your birthday after all…"

Hekele opened her eyes and when she saw the box, they widened considerably, "Sesshoumaru…you didn't have to get me anything…"

"Well, I did. Now, are you going to open it on your own, or am I going to have to make you?" he asked jokingly, recalling the time that he had refused to eat her cooking when they had first met.

Hekele recalled the time as well and laughed, "Ok…if it's going to get opened either way, I might as well do it the easy way…" Sesshoumaru gave her a victorious smirk and gently placed the gift in her hands. Hekele elbowed him slightly in mild revenge and slowly began unwrap it. When she had the wrapping paper off, she examined the box slightly before opening it as well.

Inside was a golden ring. Hekele's jaw dropped as she took it out of the box and looked at it closely. There were designs etched in silver: little waves and dots above and below them. It was simple, but very beautiful.

"Sesshoumaru…it's gorgeous…where on Earth did you get this…?" she asked, in complete awe.

Sesshoumaru smiled, quite pleased with her reaction, "It was a piece of jewelry that belonged to my mother. I found it in my palace quite a while ago, but when I discovered that your birthday was coming up, I decided that I wanted for you to have it…I went back there almost a week ago to pick it up…"

Hekele smiled warmly. Sesshoumaru never spoke of his mother, much like Inuyasha never spoke of his. She knew that it was a touchy subject for both of them, and so for Sesshoumaru to give this ring to her meant a great deal, "…Thank you…" she said quietly as she put it on, "…Thank you very much…it means a lot to me that you would give me something such as this…" She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big squeeze. Sesshoumaru's smile broadened ever so slightly as he returned the embrace. He was happy that she liked the gift, and that she obviously appreciated it's meaning as well.

"If you want," Sesshoumaru said, now smirking, "…you may go to bed now."

Hekele laughed once more and hit him in the arm, "…I think I'll take you up on that offer. As awake as my head is right now, my body is about to crash…" Sesshoumaru chuckled slightly and helped her up. They walked toward the hut that Hekele, Kagome, and Rin were sharing slowly, content in each other's company.

When they got there, Hekele sighed and gave Sesshoumaru another hug, "Thank you again…but I have just one question…"

Sesshoumaru looked at her oddly, "And that would be?"

"How on Earth did you find out that today was my birthday?" Hekele asked.

Sesshoumaru smirked, "…I found out on the day that we all went shopping for your Valentine's gifts; a very ill and annoyed Souta told me that Ms. Higurashi wanted me to know…"

Hekele sighed, "They all plot against me…" Sesshoumaru smiled at this.

"Go to sleep, you may seek your revenge in the morning…" he said.

Hekele rolled her eyes, "Sesshoumaru, I would have gotten even with them with or without your permission…" She began to walk into the hut when Sesshoumaru stopped her and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. Hekele blushed five shades of red, which amused Sesshoumaru greatly.

"…Get some rest…we don't want you having another pole incident…" he said, amusing himself further. Hekele gave him an apathetic look as she began walking into the hut once more.

"You're just lucky I'm in a good mood," she replied, a bit annoyed. Sesshoumaru detected this and decided to end his torment…for the night at least.

"Good night, and sleep well," he said, leaving her at the doorway.

Hekele sighed, content, "Good night…"

**In another hut**:

Ms. Higurashi had put Souta to bed a while ago and her father had long been asleep. Kachie had gotten bored and had come to see her. Ms. H. had been quite surprised that Kachie had known that she was awake, but then again, she assumed that her scent had given it away. She had been correct.

"So, why can't _you_ sleep?" Kachie asked her while sitting cross-legged on the floor. Ms. H. sighed.

"I don't know…perhaps it is because I feel so small in this era…I'm not used to being around demons, save for Inuyasha, and I've also never had to go without indoor pluming and running water…it's very different for me…" she said honestly. Kachie smiled at this.

"Yeah, it can be a real trip at first, but you get used to it…and as for the demons, you've got one in the room with you, in case you've forgotten…" she said.

Ms. H. laughed quietly, "I am not afraid of my own girls and their friends, Kachie…I'm…anxious of the evil ones that seem to always pop up on your adventures…"

Kachie smiled proudly when Ms. H. referred to her as one of 'her girls.' It made her happy to know that she was held in such high esteem, "…Ok…just making sure…don't want Mom freaking out every time she comes here…"

Ms. H. _was_ like Kachie's own mother, and had become so very quickly after she had arrived in Japan. Kachie and her real mother had always argued over the dumbest things, and often wouldn't talk for days. With Ms. H., Kachie could tell her anything and she would wait patiently until Kachie was finished to speak. She always valued everyone else's opinion, and never grew upset over it.

Ms. H. was equally flattered when referred to as 'mom' by Kachie. She was happy to know that they had such a strong relationship with one another. She had seen cases where kids hated their parents and their parents hated them. It should never be like that. Ms. H. was thrilled that neither her biological, nor her sergeant children ever felt like that.

Although, Kachie was technically only just staying for a year until she was allowed back into her old school, and not an adoptive daughter as Hekele was. Ms. H. couldn't help but feel that when the time came to give Kachie back, she may ask Kachie if she wanted to stay longer, and hopefully convince her parents that she should…

She snapped out of her reverie, "Well, that's true I suppose, it wouldn't be good if I became frightened every time I came here…which, hopefully, will be more often now that I've done it once…" Suddenly remembering something, she grabbed her small suitcase and began to rummage through it until she found what she was looking for: the mail.

"I never opened it, so I just stuffed it with the rest of my things…" she explained, shuffling through it in case there was something important. She came across an envelope from the United States, and it was from a social worker…

Ms. H. absentmindedly opened the envelope and began reading the attached letter. When she got to the second paragraph, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

Concerned, Kachie stood up and walked behind Ms. H. to see the letter, "What's wrong?"

Ms. H. sighed, but it came out in shudders, "…It's from your social worker…the one who sent me the papers to sign so that I could be your temporary guardian…"

Kachie now was quite curious, "What's it say?"

Ms. H. let out a small sob, "…Your parents went to court…and got the papers nullified…they want you back…now…"

**Me**: Omigod! We're gonna die! Kachie has to leave us!

**Kachie**: Umm, yea, I'm going to another fic…Sakora wants to use me…

**Me**: What! You mean you're really leaving us!

**Kachie**: It's just a part-time job…you know, since you take forever to update…

**Me**: (Reads Sakora's review) Hey! She wants to use me too! YAY! We're famous!

**Kachie: **I'm famous, I'm famous, woot!

**Me**: Yes, Sakora, Kachie and I would be honored if you used us in your Inuyasha fic. **_We are your willing puppets!_**

**Kachie**: I'm a puppet, I'm a puppet, I'm a puppet…YAY!

**Sesshoumaru**: (Looks at Koga) What if this Sakora person switches them!

**Koga**: What if she makes Kachie your girlfriend and Hekele-

**Sesshoumaru**: Wait, never mind…I'd kill you if you touched her…

**Me**: (Sweat drops) Okkkkk, well, onto the next chapter…and yes, Sakora, I was serious, you may use us in your story…I am very flattered…and so is Kachie!


	6. Painful

Loving Thru the Trials of Love 

Hiya! What's up? Nothing here…except that I threw cold, wet, and muddy mulch at the guy I like…but he started it…sort of…He didn't get wet and dirty like everyone else on the field trip…so my teacher told me to get him dirty…and I did so lovingly…I'm just lucky that he doesn't hold grudges like I do sometimes…he forgave me before I said that I was sorry…

Ok, onto important stuff…THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! WOOT! You guys are awesome! Oh! And to you wonderful reviewers who like to ask questions, the reason that Ms. H., Souta, and Grandpa can go through the well is so that they can remain with us as well, so that if we were to live in the feudal era permanently, they could still come to see us for the rest of their human natural lives…

Now, I have a special request of you all. I happen to be a fan of the authoress, Tamashi-no-Hikari. She has been getting few reviews lately, as well as some very undeserving mean flames that made her feel as though she and her work were unappreciated. She was going to stop her story right there and MAYBE leave a summary of the end so that her fans wouldn't be left hanging, but only if she got enough votes for it, (because why waste your time if no one cares?)

I, in a review, made her a deal that she took me up on. I said that she had to at least write one more regular chapter, and if she got seven or more reviews, she wasn't allowed to quit writing the story. If she DIDN'T get that many reviews, then she could just leave a summary ending at that time. In return for this last ditch save-the-story effort, (no matter the outcome,) I would personally review every single chapter of that story and the one that she is currently getting ready to start posting. I also promised to recommend her stories to all of you fine people.

I know that you will like her stories; I know I love them dearly. I am making it mandatory for all of my loyal reviewers to read and review to at least ONE of her stories. Please, it would make her day as well as mine. I have begun to fulfill my end of the bargain…and lol…if you DO participate in this, be sure to tell her that Hekele sent you! But really, please do this…it is a worthy cause…at least to me it is!

ONTO THE CHAPPIE!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Hekele, Kachie, Lady Oyu, Kotaro, and all plot ideas…nothing more, and surely nothing less…

**Painful…**

Kachie stared at the ceiling of her hut in disbelief. Her parents wanted her to come home? Now? Why so soon? And why hadn't they called or written her first with the idea? Where would she go to school when she got back?

Then another question plagued her mind: did she _want_ to go back?

_…I like it here with the gang…I like Ms. H., Souta, and even Grandpa…I like how close and welcome they make me feel…I like how we never fight…I like the morning hugs…and aside from all that, I love it **here**, in the Feudal Era…I love Koga…I love traveling…I love being a demoness…I love the villages…I love the serenity and peace…I…don't miss being back home…at all…but if I were to leave here…I think my heart would break…I…don't want to go back…ever…_she thought to herself, tears forming in her eyes. She thought more and more about what she would be leaving behind when she left Japan, and began to softly sob.

A sleeping Sango's elf-like ear twitched at the sad sounds as she opened her eyes. She sat up and stretched. It was morning, and Sango had slept surprisingly well. As she looked around the room, she saw her roommate, Kachie, already awake.

She looked a wreck. She appeared as though she hadn't seen a wink of sleep all night. Quite concerned, Sango walked over to her and sat at the edge of her cot.

"What is the matter Kachie? You seem quite distressed…" It was then that Sango could smell her tears and hear her sobs more clearly. She turned the girl to face her and was shocked to find that she was correct.

"Why are you crying? If you do not tell me, I will tell Koga, and you know he won't stop prying until he gets it out of you…" she said in a semi-threatening tone. Kachie sighed and looked Sango in the eye slowly before handing her an envelope. Curious, Sango opened it and began reading the letter inside.

At first she didn't understand much, the other era still confused her quite often, but once she read the second paragraph, most of the first clicked. Kachie's parents had made it so that Ms. H. could no longer have Kachie with her…they had terminated a sort of agreement…and they wanted Kachie home immediately.

"Oh…Kachie…I see now…" she said slowly, not bothering to read the rest. She didn't need to. She pulled Kachie into a big hug and stroked the upset girl's hair softly, not knowing what to say.

"I…I don't want to go back…I want to stay here…" she heard Kachie whisper quietly. Sango thought for a moment.

"Can you not tell this to your parents? Your time from your school is not up yet after all…" she asked hopefully. She felt Kachie shake her head.

"…I could always go to another school in my country…but I don't want to…I like it here…in Japan…in _this_ era especially…If I went home…It may be years before I could come back…" she cried, becoming more distressed by the moment.

Sango continued to stroke her hair as she digested the information, "…But can you not still tell your parents how you feel?" Again, Kachie shook her head.

"…If they cared about how I felt, they would have told me sooner that they wanted me home…so we could talk about it first…do you realize that I haven't gotten one phone call or letter from them? EVER? I just did…I've written them a few times…but…" Kachie trailed off, thinking. _Why **haven't **they written or called me? If they missed me so much…they'd at least have done that…at least a sensible person would…I can't believe I didn't realize the lack of contact sooner…I guess I felt so at home here that I just never noticed…_she finished, new tears beginning to fall.

Sango sighed to herself and rocked Kachie gently, trying to think of something that she could say. She didn't want Kachie to leave either. Kachie was a very valued friend, and more family than mere acquaintance… "I don't know what to tell you…" she began honestly, "but I do think that you should try to converse with them if you feel so strongly about staying…"

Kachie sighed and nodded slightly. She let go of Sango and sniffled, "I guess I can try…but…what am I suppose to tell everyone? Ms. H. knows of course…but should I tell everyone else?"

Sango nodded, "Yes, you should…if you **do** end up having to leave us for a time, then they deserve to have a heads up…don't you think?" Kachie nodded slowly, looking at the floor.

"…When should I tell them?" she asked, wanting the older girl's advice. Sango thought about it and sighed.

"You should probably tell them all at once, and soon…" she said sadly. Kachie nodded again.

"Ok…"

**An hour later; Lady Kaede's hut:**

"WHAT?" Koga yelled, jumping up in disbelief. Kachie was sitting before everyone with Ms. H. and Sango standing behind her supportively. She had just told everyone about the letter, Ms. H. nodding in confirmation of everything.

Everyone was shocked.

Hekele looked down at her hands quietly, twisting the ring that Sesshoumaru had given her around her finger repeatedly. Kachie was her best friend, and even though she had known that at some point Kachie would have to leave Japan, but she had also assumed that it would be much later. Everyone could sense the tenseness in the room. Between Koga's mix of anger and sadness, and the confused sadness of everyone else, there was great reason for it. Why as for her back so suddenly?

Kachie cleared her throat, "I want you all to know something though…I don't want to go back, and I'm going to try to contact them and figure out what the hell is going on. I don't want to leave." This seemed to calm Koga slightly, but not much, and it didn't seem to comfort anyone else at all, least of all Hekele.

"I know how your parents are Kachie…they are very persistent…that's why you came here in the first place…because they were persistent in making sure that I was all right…but…I don't see why they would ask for you back so suddenly…and I don't see how we could convince them to allow you to stay here…" she said somberly, not allowing her hopes to rise. Koga growled low in his throat in response.

"Oh, some friend you are, quitting already! Why the hell would you quit before you even tried! Stupid wen-"

Sesshoumaru stood and was in Koga's face in seconds, "I do believe your words to be rather cruel and they are not appreciated. I understand your distress on the matter at hand but bullying someone is **not** the appropriate solution!" Koga snarled at him and Sesshoumaru returned the gesture.

"Enough you two! Koga! She wasn't quitting anything, she was stating that she didn't know how we would convince them to let me stay, and frankly, neither do I. However, it won't stop us from trying. Get out of her face about it!" Kachie yelled at him, displeased with his methods of venting.

Hekele nodded slowly, but she never looked up nor raised her voice, "…I won't quit anything…but like Kachie said, I don't know how to win at this situation. They will probably come to claim her themselves, and they will probably want to leave on the next flight out…our battle may end up being fought with her in their possession most of the time…" With these words she stood slowly and walked out of the hut. Rin stood and quickly followed her, wanting to make her feel better if she could. Sesshoumaru waited long enough to shoot Koga a threatening glare before following the two as well.

Kagome had been silent the entire time, as had everyone else, but chose to speak now, "…Maybe we should all just drop the subject for now and pick it up later…maybe we'll think of something during that time…I'm sure there's a solution to this…" Inuyasha and Shippo nodded slightly in agreement, as did Kanna, Kagura, Kohaku, Souta, and Miroku. Grandpa didn't move. He was too deep in thought.

Everyone quietly filed out of the hut. Kachie gave Koga a little glare before he made move to leave as well. At this time, Grandpa stood up and walked over to Kachie and his daughter, who had remained in the room. He sighed and embraced Kachie, surprising her greatly.

"…I do not know what the outcome of this will be…but either way, we will try our darndest to get you back…you are as much my grandchild as Kagome, Souta and Hekele. None of us will give you up without a fight," he said, releasing her. Tears formed in Kachie's eyes once more. Grandpa had never shown her that much affection before…

"…Thank you…" was all she could manage.

**With Koga:**

Koga walked around in the forest slowly, trying to quell his anger. How dare they try to take Kachie away from him? He knew that eventually she would have to leave, but he also knew that she would come back one day. He knew that he would have to prepare himself for her absence…but so soon? He wasn't ready for her to leave…and he doubted that he ever would be.

_She's all that really matters…even when I 'loved' Kagome, I never felt this much pain at the thought of her absence…this is real…_ he thought to himself sadly. He sniffed the air when he felt a presence, but it was only Kachie. He turned to face her and sighed.

"…Isn't there anything that you know of that we could do? What if you just stayed here for a while? During the time that they came to get you? Ms. H. could say that you ran away or something…" he tried hopefully. Kachie only shook her head at him and quietly hugged him tightly.

"…It wouldn't work…because then she and Grandpa would get in trouble for letting me go…and then Souta, Kagome, and Hekele could potentially be taken away from them…and no police officer would buy that we all ran away…because then there would most likely been a reason for us to leave…the cops could think that maybe it would be best for us not to live there…and then it would cause even more troubles…there would be an investigation…and what if someone discovered the power of the well and found a way to use it? What would happen then? It's just best for us not to make such a bold move…it wouldn't work…" she said slowly.

Koga sighed and gripped her tightly. She was warm. It was because she was part fire demoness. Koga pulled her even tighter and nuzzled her hair. He sighed softly and pulled back away from her, looking her in the eye.

"I'm not letting anyone take you away from me…you got that? If I have to kick their asses myself, I'll not let them take you…" he said seriously. Kachie managed a smile. It seemed that no one would allow her to be taken…

The two jumped slightly when they saw a flash of lightning and heard a loud crash of thunder. The sky was turning dark quickly, but it wasn't a menacing storm…but a sad one.

"Hekele…she must really be taking this hard…I've never seen her emotions rule her power before…" Kachie said. Koga sighed.

"…You two are really tight, aren't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Kachie nodded, "Back home, we were all the other had for the longest time…she was like my sister from day one…when she left, I was heart-broken…and when I came here, I healed. Now that I'll probably have to leave again, she's feeling the same way I did then…she's frustrated and sad, and since she doesn't know what to do, her power is letting out some of the frustration through this little storm…"

Koga shuddered, "…Just promise me that you'll never get this frustrated…I'd hate to see what would happen if you let loose…this forest might turn into a pile of ash…"

Kachie giggled a bit as they began to head back to the village, "I'll try to remember that…"

**With Hekele:**

Hekele sighed and turned away from Sesshoumaru once more. She really didn't want to talk about anything right then, and he had been persisting for the past half hour. It wasn't that she was upset with him, which seemed to be what he was perceiving, but that she was upset in general. Hekele let out another sigh as Sesshoumaru sat next to her on her cot.

"…I don't want to talk about it Sesshoumaru…I just want to be left alone right now…I need to figure out what to do about this…I _do_ want to help…" she confessed. Sesshoumaru gave her a semi-concerned look.

"If you wish to be left to your thoughts, I understand…but I do not think that leaving you while you brood is the best course of action at this time…" he said.

Hekele growled, "And why not!"

Sesshoumaru sighed as he rubbed his temples, "…Because you are subconsciously allowing your powers loose, and I doubt that it will get better the longer you remain frustrated. The rain is beginning to pick up and I've seen lightning multiple times. Thank goodness it hasn't struck in the village yet…but it's getting closer…"

Hekele snapped her head up at the mention of this and looked out the window, only to discover that he was correct. She hadn't even noticed the thunder…

"Shit…I'm sorry…I wasn't even paying attention…" she said, closing her eyes. She willed herself to calm down as she took slow, deep breaths. After a few minutes of this, the rain ceased to be nothing more than a light drizzle. Hekele couldn't calm herself totally, and was a bit annoyed at the fact. As much as she liked the rain, she **didn't** like the idea of causing a disaster in the village just because she was upset about something that was probably out of her control…

Sesshoumaru allowed her to calm down before he spoke, "Being a half elemental demoness makes your powers more wild. Elements cannot be contained, only controlled to a degree. You must learn to be more aware of your limits of control and then to expand them…it may take time…I'm just thanking Kami that Kachie didn't feel actual malice towards her parents instead of confusion; this village might have burnt to ashes had she lost control…"

Hekele nodded slowly, understanding, "Yeah…I know…again, I'm sorry…" Sesshoumaru was about to speak again when Kachie came stumbling through the hut, soaked.

"Whew…whatever you did to clam her down, Sesshoumaru, good job…I nearly got hit by lightning a couple of times out there…" she said jokingly, shaking her head off, which annoyed Sesshoumaru greatly. Hekele's head snapped up in worry.

"Oh Kami…I'm so sorry Kachie…" she began, but Kachie only grinned.

"Jeez Hekele, can't you take a joke…It never even came close to hitting me…and that's saying something because I attract trouble, remember?" she said calmly.

Hekele sighed, "I don't get why I'm getting so worked up about this…I knew that you'd have to leave sooner or later…so why is it bugging me so much?"

Kachie sat on the other side of Hekele as she spoke, "…Probably for the same reason that I'm so upset over it…You've gotten used to me being here all the time…just like I'm used to being here…and you don't want me to leave any more than I want to leave. This place feels like home to me…more than with my own family…did you know that Grandpa actually hugged me back there? I mean, wow. In my family, hugs are about as common as puppy dogs and nice neighbors…in short, they practically don't exist. But like you, I thrive on that sort of affection. I feel like I belong here more than I do back home…and that's why I want to stay…"

Sesshoumaru, feeling as though he was extra baggage in the room, stood to leave, "If you require my presence, I will be in the Lady Kaede's hut…" He gave Kachie a slight nod and Hekele an encouraging smile…or rather, his version of one, and left the hut.

Kachie smiled, "Wow…he's perceptive…Koga wouldn't get the hint if you told him to leave…but then again, that's why I love him…"

Hekele smiled slightly and began twisting her ring again, needing to do something with her hands, "Yeah…but Sesshoumaru shows he cares in his own, not-so-naïve way…" Kachie noticed the ring at that time and her eyes got big.

"Where did you get that…it's gorgeous!" she said, grabbing her friend's hand and examining the object encircling it.

Hekele blushed, "…Um…it was Sesshoumaru's birthday gift for me…" Kachie's eyes got wider.

"Omigod! He gave this to you? Wow! And here I thought he'd get you a cd or something…wow…" she mused. Hekele gave her a very proud smile.

"It was his mother's…he found it in his palace a while back and when he found out that my birthday was coming up, he went back there to get it for me…" she said slowly, looking the ring over herself once more. Kachie's jaw dropped.

"Wow…talk about meaningful…that is so sweet!" she said, allowing her friend to take back her hand. Hekele nodded in agreement.

"Yep…that's what I think too…" she said. By this time, the drizzle outside had ceased, Hekele's frustration having been extinguished for the time. Hekele looked at her friend and smiled.

"How can you be so calm when you may very well have to leave all this behind for Kami knows how long?" she asked seriously. Kachie sighed and laid back on the bed, thinking.

"I don't know…I guess I just got all the worry out of my system…or maybe I'm bottling it all up subconsciously…who knows…" she said, not bothering to think _too_ hard. Hekele smirked.

"Well, bottling it all up is bad…so let's hope it's just out of your system for now…" she said, looking outside and was happy that the clouds had dissipated as well.

Kachie sighed and just stared at the ceiling for a while, allowing her friend's presence to calm her inner thoughts. _What if I can't ever come back? What if I never see them again? God…it'd kill me…_ she thought. _Nah, I'm not going to let this worry me. If I'm worried, then the people around me will worry…speaking of which…I did sort of ditch Koga back there…hmmm…_ "Ummm, Hekele?" she asked. Hekele turned to her and cocked her head.

"Hmm? What is it?" she replied. Kachie fidgeted.

"…Are you ok now? I kind of ditched Koga back there…and it might be a good idea to get back to him…" she said slowly, not wanting to offend her friend. Hekele only smiled.

"No problem…I'm ok. Go spend time with lover boy before he comes looking for you…" she teased. Kachie growled slightly at the comment but gave her friend a small hug anyway.

"Thanks…I'll see you later! Promise!" she said, dashing out the door. Hekele smiled at her friend. She was feeling much better, and was quite reassured by Kachie's attitude. She stretched once more before pausing.

"How long have you been there Sesshoumaru? Yes, I can smell you…" she muttered that last part, sensing his confusion. She heard a chuckle from behind her.

"You are learning how to distinguish masked scents quite effectively I see…Kachie still has a way to go…" he said, appearing at the window. Hekele gave him a look.

"Well, you weren't really trying too hard…but I could still barely smell you…and again, how long were you there?" she asked.

"Long enough to know that all I have to do to improve your mood is to distract you. How simple…I should have thought of it," he said. Hekele glared at him.

"Jerk…that's not nice…and I'm not _that_ simple minded…" she said, looking away from him.

Sesshoumaru walked around the hut and inside. He sat next to Hekele on the cot and sighed, "You and I both know that I know that you aren't simple minded in the least…and that's why I never thought of so simple a solution." Hekele grinned broadly, causing Sesshoumaru to look at her in a slightly confused manner.

"What?" he asked.

Hekele simply shook her head, "…I think Kachie and I are rubbing off on you…"

Sesshoumaru pretended to look offended, "Oh, really?"

Hekele nodded…and then smirked, "I have an evil idea…"

Sesshoumaru looked at her critically, "And that would be?"

Hekele's smirk broadened, "…Get the kids…ALL of them…"

**With Koga:**

Koga sighed as he sat in the hut. He had been relieved to see the storm dissipate, but was a bit sad that Kachie had yet to return. He had seen Sesshoumaru briefly, before the demon had abruptly turned around and headed in the direction that he had come in.

_Stupid sneak…they'll figure him out…_ he had thought. A few more minutes had passed since then, and Koga couldn't help but get annoyed that Kachie hadn't come back yet. Suddenly, he had an idea.

Koga stood up and walked over to the door of the hut and leaned against the wall. After a minute or so, he could detect her scent heading in his direction. He grinned. She could detect his scent within the hut…but she couldn't tell where _exactly_ he was…

"Koga? Where the hell are you? Oh come on! I just ditched Hekele to get back to you and- Yaaa!" Kachie screeched as Koga jumped out from his hiding spot and picked her up bridal-style, laughing all the while. He spun in a circle with her in his arms as she clung to him for dear life, not wanting to be dropped.

Koga stopped abruptly and just smiled at her, knowing full well that once he put her down he'd have to run for his life. His smiles broadened when he saw her smile as well, and begin to laugh.

"Koga…I am going to kill you for scaring me like that…but otherwise, it was really sweet…now, could you please put me down?" she asked in a sugar-sweet tone.

Koga smiled even more and spoke with the same sugary tone, "I don't think so love, I want to live through my early thousands at _least_…and I can't very well do that when the instant I put you down I get killed, now can I?"

Kachie rolled here eyes, "So what are you going to do, carry me forever?"

Koga grinned, "Well, I sure as hell can try, can't I? Besides, this way, we'd never be apart…" Kachie smiled at him lovingly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're a charming one, I have to give you that, but quite frankly, this little scheme of yours wouldn't work…" she said. Koga furrowed his brow.

"And why not?" he asked.

Kachie hugged his neck tighter, "…Because you wouldn't be able to eat or play pranks on Inuyasha with me in your arms twenty-four seven…"

Koga thought about this for a moment before stealing a small kiss from her, "Nah, I'll live…I don't need food…Not tormenting Inuyasha might be hard though…"

Kachie nuzzled his face slightly, "…I don't think you've got your priorities quite straight, but it's sweet anyway…"

Koga stole another kiss and nuzzled her as well. He smiled at her and couldn't help but be lost in her laughing eyes. He rested his forehead on hers as he spoke, "I love you…"

Kachie smiled once more, "I love you t-"

FLASH!

The two stood there in shock, (well, one stood…) as they looked at the entrance to the hut. There were Souta, Rin, Shippo, Kanna, and Kohaku, staring at them like a deer in the headlights. Souta had a camera…

Kachie took a deep breath before speaking, "What are you doing with that camera?"

Souta gulped, why did he have to take the darn pictures? "Ummm, taking pictures of you guys for use of blackmail at a later date?" he said timidly

Koga growled, "This has Hekele and Sesshoumaru written all over it…the shrimp's even talking like them…"

Kachie was more concerned about something else, "Ummm, pictures? As in, _plural_?"

Rin nodded for Souta…he was frozen with fear, "Yup, but Souta-san accidentally forgot to turn off the flash for the last picture…"

Koga and Kachie looked at them in horror. "Ummm, I think it might be a good idea for you guys to give us that camera…" Koga said, slowly making his way to the children, Kachie still in his arms.

Shippo wasn't that dumb, "RUN FOR IT! PROTECT THE CAMERA!" With that, the clutter of kids split up and started running in all sorts of directions. Koga let Kachie down and the two began to chase Souta, which wasn't hard since he was human. Realizing that he had been targeted, Souta quickly threw the camera to Kohaku.

"And they're off! Souta runs with the camera, oh no! He's been targeted! He throws the camera to Kohaku…AND IT'S GOOD! Kohaku runs the camera to Rin, who tosses it to Kanna, who slips on the slippery snow, (ouch…sorry) BUT SHE THROWS IT TO SHIPPO! He has it, and is running for dear life! He transforms into a copy of Koga and get ahead. Oh wait! He lost it! He dodges one of Koga's kicks and goes flying chibi-style! He lands in the snow…and all I see is a hole! Wait! The camera comes catapulting out of the hole and over Koga's head! Kachie is moving for interception, but then she trips over Kohaku's foot! Nice one! The camera continues flying…Oh shit, DUCK KAGURA! Owww…that has got to hurt…Hey! She's smiling! It's good! She throws the camera…SHIT SHE THREW IT AT ME!" Hekele finished her commentary as she caught the camera. She shot a smirking Kagura, (who was also rubbing her head,) an evil glare and began to run for her life…

Kachie saw where Hekele was about to go and snuck behind one of the huts. When Hekele passed her…she pounced on her.

Hekele came crashing to the ground, still cradling the camera like it was a baby, and stared at Kachie with fearful eyes, "Ummm, it's not what you think…ok, it is…but I couldn't help it! You two were about to have a cute moment…I could feel it! And ha! I was right! And I got it all in pictures…Mwuahahahaha!"

By this time, most of the village come outside to see the show and were laughing at the current sight. Ms. H. and Grandpa were chuckling softly as well. Kagome was nursing Kagura's head, Inuyasha was fighting not to get hiccups, Sango and Miroku were standing next to Kohaku….(Sango appeared upset about something while Miroku was giving Kohaku a hi-5…probably for when he tripped Kachie…) and even the Lady Kaede was smiling at the sight. Sesshoumaru had decided that he wanted nothing to do with the prank and had elected to vanish from sight, but he was smirking from the shadows as well…

Kachie spoke to Hekele in a low growl, "…I am going to kill you…do you understand?"

Hekele smirked, "Fat chance…CATCH MOM!" Hekele tossed the camera to Ms. H. before Kachie could stop her. Ms. H. caught the camera and smiled at Kachie.

"Want to try to get it from me?" she asked, smiling still. Kachie growled a bit.

"That's low…you know I'd never come after you…you evil, evil woman…"

Ms. H.'s smile turned into a smirk, "I know…and that's why I'm going to have fun with the computer when we get back home…these should be rather cute…don't you think?"

Kagome stared at her mom in disbelief, "Wow…my mom has come to the dark side…" then she gave Inuyasha a side-glance, "Strong with this one, the force is…"

Inuyasha growled but said nothing.

Koga helped Kachie up and looked at her, "Was that a digital camera?"

Kachie sighed, "Afraid so…"

"Damn it…"

**Somewhere else in Feudal Japan:**

Lady Oyu stretched in her bed. She was much too weak to do anything for Kami knows how long…but she could still look in on what was happening…

"Kotaro…please bring the 'mirror' to this one…this one wishes to see what has happened thus far…" she said. Kotaro obediently came with the bowl of liquid. It had a spell cast upon it that allowed the looker to see anything they wished. He sat in the bed with her and placed it between them.

They could see Kachie crying and Sango comforting, as well as the mother crying on her own when know one was around. Hekele had caused a small storm, while Koga was full of buried rage. Though all were happy on the outside after their little 'game' of keep-away, they all still held anger, sorrow, and confusion deep inside.

After taking a close look at Kagome, Lady Oyu spoke once more, "Let us stimulate her. Send one of our allies to test her…Kagome is quite powerful…as a demon or a miko, and we must know her strengths in this time. This one will NOT be humiliated by her again…"

Kotaro left her side for a moment and walked over to a pile of crystals. He picked up a rather large one and gave it to Lady Oyu. After a second of thought, Lady Oyu touched the crystal to her lips and let it float away from her towards the village.

"Go servant…do your worst to that pathetic bitch…"

**Me**- The end…for now!

**Kachie**- Wow…we have lot's of fans…Shipporockz101 wants to use us in a

story too! Woot!

**Me**- Awesome! Go right ahead! Just let me know if you intend on killing us off

eventually…you know, just so we know…(same goes to Sakora…)

**Kachie**- Woot! We'd talk more, but Hekele's late for school…seriously! Run

Hekele!

**Me**- I am damn it! I'm running…Shit, the bus!

**Kachie**- This is why my dad drives me to school…Mwuahahaha…uh…R&R…


	7. Kagome's Change

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Um...yeah...sorry this took so long...I got a new computer, and we had internet problems...then we had printer problems...then I fiddled with my digital camera since I could finally use it...then I made a bunch of anime music videos since I could finally do that, and then, when i finally got crackin', fanfiction was down and wouldn't accept my story for two whole days! Blah...and then, as a side note, I was having some family troubles that I'll not explain any further...

So, basically, I was super distracted with little things...I am very sorry...

Well, here is my Kags/Inu chappie! Have fun reading it!

Oh yeah...Kagome is going to start getting OOC...this **_IS_** intended. Lady Oyu's spell is beginning to take effect...and it just so happens to mess with Kagome's temperament a bit...so please do not write to me and tell me that I made her OOC, because I know...and it will be this way for a while...until Oyu and her plot, (which you guys still don't completely know...;P )are exposed...so...deal with it!

**Kagome's Change**

Kagome froze suddenly, sensing a dark presence. She turned to her comrades, whom were still smiling and laughing about Hekele's and Kachie's antics with the camera. One by one, they too stopped short and remained still, sensing the same presence Kagome was.

"What...is it?" Kachie asked. Kagome shook her head.

"I don't know...I doesn't _feel_ like a demon...but it's still dark..." she said. Kachie paused for a moment before running into the hut where she had stayed the night. A moment later, she ran back out, holding her medallion.

It was glowing again.

"Koga...you said that it could detect 'fallen purity,' right?" she asked. Koga nodded. Kachie then turned her line of vision to Kagome, "Well, it glowed right after that energy surge in our era...so...could thing that created it be here?"

Kagome thought for a moment, "Wait...if it was activated in our era, then _how_ could it be the same being? They would have to have traveled through time...but-"

"But we're the only ones who can...and the well is the only portal there is, or else we'd have a bunch of you future school girls running around and causing trouble!" Inuyasha interjected, quite annoyed. Kagome glared at him for a moment before continuing.

"...In not-so-many words, yes. So how is it possible? Unless someone learned how to make a portal, and I don't know of any magic that could do that...other than the Shikon no Tama that is..." she said.

Kaede listened to what she said patiently before coming up with her own theory. She walked over to the group as she spoke, "Kachie's medallion can detect fallen purity can it not? And the power of a priestess created the Shikon no Tama, correct? But if the magic ye sense were caused by a priestess, ye would have known it. So, what is left?"

Everyone paused, thinking. A priestess made the Shikon no Tama, but this being had to be stronger than a priestess, because they could sense a dark priestess, (dark because of the fallen purity part.) So...as Kaede said, what's left?

"Quit playing games with us you old hag! Tell us what we are facing here!" Inuyasha growled, straight to the point. Kaede sighed.

"Ye may be dealing with a fallen angel...one who has broken free from their captivity...a fallen angel has enough power to create something such as this portal...even though it isn't pure any longer, it has enough power to do all of this and fool ye..." she let everything sink in before continuing, "Kachie, yer medallion can detect fallen purity, so it can detect this fallen and its power. Ye have a slight upper hand..."

Hekele shook her head, "Whoa, whoa, whoa...a fallen angel? How is that possible? They are bound in captivity in a layer of heaven...or hell...there are two different versions of the story. Either way, they are bound in a place that's impossible to escape."

Kagome shook her head, "Cages are meant to broken, Hekele. I guess this fallen got through somehow...either way, maybe we should check this thing out."

Inuyasha nodded, "Yea, let's go get rid of this thing before it causes more trouble."

Kagome rolled her eyes and hit him in the head, "Inuyasha, you and I will go. We don't know for a fact that it's after us yet, however, if we try to kill it, then it **will** be. So, we are going in peace, got it?"

Inuyasha growled, "Why'd you hit me? I didn't do nothin'..."

Kagome sighed, "You were too."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"WAS NOT!"

WERE TOO!"

"WA-"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT-UP AND GET MOVING IF YOU DON'T WANT THIS THING TO GET AWAY!" Myoga yelled.

Everyone paused and looked at the old flea demon on Inuyasha's shoulder. He was wearing his traveling bag and hat...not to mention a huge disapproving frown. It took a few moments of silent seething and utter confusion before anyone spoke.

"Um...Myoga-sama...when did you arrive in the village?" Sango asked hesitantly.

Miroku glared at the little flea, "And perhaps even more importantly..._why _are you here?"

Myoga froze, "I...uh...hm...Oh! I came to visit! Hehe..."

Inuyasha grabbed the flea from his shoulder and squeezed him between his thumb and index finger, "Oh...I'm _sure_ that was it geezer...except that you _never_ just visit...Nooo...you always have a reason...so...tell us...and tell us honestly...what the hell do you know?"

Myoga squirmed, "If...you...don't...let...me...breathe...I...can't...tell...you..."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, "Let's go; we'll get answers out of him on the way!" Kagome nodded briskly in return. She turned to her mother, brother, and grandfather.

"We'll be back soon!" With that, she and Inuyasha departed.

They ran swiftly in the direction of the presence. Kagome couldn't help but enjoy herself; she had never run so fast before. She had never taken the time to get used to her demonic abilities, although she knew she had them. She ran a bit faster, stretching out her abilities to their fullest.

Inuyasha watched Kagome out of the corner of his eye. He grinned slightly to himself, realizing what she had only moments before. He sped up as well, testing her slightly. He was pleased to see her match him stride for stride, and enjoying herself. He smirked to himself.

_Try this one Kagome..._ he thought as he quickly leapt from the ground to a tree branch without losing speed. He then proceeded to leap from tree to tree, looking only ahead. He wondered if Kagome would even try it yet, seeing as she was only just discovering the joys of running with such immense speed. Balancing could be difficult at first for her...

Kagome watched Inuyasha and smirked to herself. She suddenly felt both competitive and compelled. She wanted to prove that she could be as proficient now that she was a demoness, and without trying. She wanted to show that she was as strong as anyone else in their group. And a piece of her wanted to prove that she was better than Inuyasha...

No one saw as her eyes flickered red for a few brief seconds before she too leapt into the trees and began rushing through them. She sped up, not thinking about where she was going, only that she must be there first. Her mind became a fog, which started to gradually seep across her, not alerting her to any danger. She only knew the triumph as she passed Inuyasha, whom was looking at her with a bit of concern. Quite proud, Kagome leapt higher into the trees, all the way to their tops; she had seen Inuyasha do it many a time, so it must have been simple.

She felt so free, running and jumping the treetops as though they were cracks in the sidewalk. She never wanted this new found joy to end...

And then she slipped.

Inuyasha was shocked that Kagome had not only tried to imitate him, but had succeeded in passing him in the process. He would have been proud if he hadn't been so concerned. His eyes enlarged as she sped up to the treetops and continued running.

_Damn wench is going to get herself killed..._ he thought as he leapt up into the trees to follow her. At first, everything seemed fine, but then Kagome slipped.

Inuyasha launched himself from the trees toward the falling girl. When he reached her, he encircled his arms around her and braced himself seconds before they hit the ground. Inuyasha felt the impact, and despite his demonic strength, it still hurt. He held Kagome tightly until the two stopped rolling, and groaned slightly when his back collided with a tree trunk.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and sighed. He squeezed Kagome tightly, out of instinct, and moved her face so that he could see her clearly, "You ok, Kagome? You shouldn't have tried that so soon...but you'll get your balance eventually..."

Kagome glared at him and pushed him away forcefully, "I don't need your help Inuyasha! I can handle myself!" She stood up abruptly and stomped towards where she could sense the power of the fallen.

Inuyasha sat there in complete shock. He could not believe that Kagome had just done that. Usually she would thank him and then he would yell at her for being stupid and then she would hit him, (since she could no longer 'sit' him,) and then they would be on their way. But she had flat out rejected him, and it confused him to no end. What had he done?

"Hmmm, trouble in paradise Master Inuyasha?" Myoga said from Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha, having forgotten that he was there, growled ferociously in warning and leapt up after Kagome.

"Oi, wench! What the hell is the matter with you!" he yelled when he was near her. His answer was another death glare, and silence. Kagome just kept walking.

"Don't ignore me, baka!" he yelled again.

"Oh yes Inuyasha, she will forgive you even quicker if you call her names and yell at her...who's the baka now?" Myoga reprimanded. Inuyasha growled once more and threw the flea from his shoulder. He was only mildly satisfied with Myoga's indignant yell.

He leapt in front of Kagome and stood in front of her, "What's the matter with you? You just shoved me away back there when I was tryin' to be nice. I didn't do nothin' wrong, and you know it. So what's up with that bad attitude of yours?" He waited patiently for an answer, but got none. Kagome stopped in her tracks and looked at him, or rather, behind him, at something. Confused, Inuyasha turned and saw a peculiar creature.

It had no scent, which is why neither had noticed it sooner, but the aura they were tracking was surrounding it. The creature looked as though it were being born from a giant crystal, and was still forming. It appeared female, as it had a bit of a bust, and feminine curves. She was slender and looked exactly like the crystal she was being born from. Her eyes were almond shaped, were a radiant aquatic shade, and seemed to glow slightly. Her lips were an iced blue and rather attractive to gaze at. Her hues seemed to change in the light, ranging from a translucent white to a translucent blue, to translucent purple in color. Her hair extended to her ankles and was full of waves, covering most of her nude body.

Inuyasha, and a now rather calm Kagome, could only gaze at the creature's shear beauty, and both, though miffed at each other, were thinking the same thing, _Thank Kami Miroku isn't here..._

The crystal woman turned to them then, now completely out of her 'egg,' and cocked her head in interest, "Who...are you?" It was an innocent question, and her voice was as light and delicate as her very being appeared to be.

Kagome, glad for the chance at diplomacy, answered, "I'm Kagome...and this is Inuyasha...who might you be?" She made her voice as comforting as she could, not wanting to frighten the woman. The woman shrugged slightly.

"I do not know...but I do know that my master bids me to greet you..." she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. Both Inuyasha and Kagome noticed this, but tried not to betray their suspicion

"Who is your master? And why do they bid you to greet us?" Kagome tried, as gently as before. The woman looked at the sky, as though deep in thought, before answering.

"My Lady bids me greet you, for she is too weak to greet you herself. Had she the strength desired for such an outing, she'd be treating you right now...possibly...if it were in her plan of course..." she answered nonchalantly. Inuyasha gave Kagome a side-glance that clearly told her to keep up what she was doing. Not in the mood to disagree at the moment, Kagome continued.

"Who is your lady, and why is she so weak...does she need help? Is she hurt?" she asked, attempting to earn the woman's trust.

"My Lady's name is her own at the moment, but you may learn it soon...as for the reason of her weakness...that is also her concern alone and not yours. She needs no help from her enemies..." was the reply received. Kagome tried once more.

"Why does your lady consider us her enemies...we haven't even met yet," she asked, curious.

The woman stood up and stretched in a bored manner, "My Lady has met you before in a time apart from this, and you are indeed her enemies...and as for your greeting..." The woman twirled her hands in the air and formed a bow of fallen energy and an arrow. She held it at her side as she finished her speech, "...perhaps I shall demonstrate the power of a Fallen's spawn, ne?"

With that, she notched her arrow with incredible speed and fired at the two. Inuyasha and Kagome dodged with ease, but it was what the woman was counting on. Her arrow split into many tiny arrows and flew at the two, and before they could dodge, they were hit.

To Kagome, whom had never felt the pain of a purification arrow before, it felt like she was being set on fire. She screamed in pain as she was thrown back by the energy. Inuyasha tried his best not to react to the pain, so that he could concentrate on attacking the creature.

In all honesty, Inuyasha didn't want to fight the woman...he wanted some of the questions that were running in his head to be answered. For instance, what did she mean by, 'a time apart from this'? She couldn't mean Kagome's time...or else she would probably have said something that would clue in on it. Inuyasha knew that Kagome didn't have any enemies in her time, and he didn't really take the time to meet anyone...so how could anyone have met him, and hate _them _already? It didn't make any sense...

He was taken out of his revery when he heard Kagome scream. He immediately leapt into action and lunged at the woman, whom put up a pure barrier and sent him flying backwards. He was stunned, how could a fallen, using 'fallen purity,' able to effect him like that? It felt as though he were being purified...but if the thing _wasn't_ pure...how could that be?

The creature had Kagome in her sights and formed energy orbs in her hands. She juggled them mockingly before grinning and throwing them at the girl. Kagome screamed again in pain as she was forced into a tree.

Suddenly, however, she felt nothing. No pain...just...bliss. She wasn't aware of anything. She was only conscious that she was moving, and that was it. She leapt to and fro and maneuvered her arms and hands beautifully. As suddenly as her 'dance' had begun, it was over. She was no longer aware of the sensation of movement, and felt the ground claim her.

Inuyasha stared in complete disbelief at the scene before him. The creature was almost completely in pieces. Kagome had blacked out, and then...Inuyasha wasn't sure what had happened. She had gone on a mad rampage and had torn the creature to shreds. Inuyasha's ears were ringing from the screaming, but it was almost as if Kagome hadn't even heard it. She had snarled and bared her fangs, and had lost all touch of reality. Inuyasha was, (and no truer words were spoken,) afraid.

_Is...that how I act when I turn into a full demon? Is that what everyone else sees? No wonder they'd do anything to stop it from happening..._ he thought as he approached the fallen girl. She was unconscious, but surprisingly not bloody. He sighed and picked her up. He wasn't going to tell anyone about this...at least not until he could talk to her about it first. Something wasn't quite right...her behavior was too strange...and she had no cause for it...

_Could it be a side effect from the Jewel? Could she and the others be like me in that capability to go mad for no reason? Fear and anger do it for me...but what could have mad her that angry? She didn't seem as though she were afraid...unless nearly being purified did it to her...that could be a possibility..._ he thought. He was sure he had never pondered so much about one subject since the final battle with Naraku...when he had to choose between Kagome and Kikyo. It was troubling to him...more than he was willing to express...

_Well, if I **do **__talk to anyone about it...it would probably be one of the girls...Sango, Kachie, or Hekele...they're all so close...they'd know what to do...that is...if Kagome pushes me away again..._ Inuyasha continued on his way back to the village...the scents of his friends were quite clear...and he could hear them heading towards himself and Kagome...and knew that they were aware of her unconscious state. He just hoped they'd buy his story until it was safe to tell them the truth...

Lady Oyu grinned as she watched the altercation between her servant and Kagome. She was pleasantly pleased when Kagome went on a rampage and completely decimated the crystal woman. She was also pleased with Inuyasha's reaction to the whole display.

Her plan was coming together beautifully, and she idly wondered when the next big obstacle would be hurled at the group of little children that were her enemies. The bitches Hekele and Sango still had theirs coming to them...and with their pain, as with Kachie's and Kagome's, came the pain of their companions. It was ever so satisfying to think about...and Lady Oyu couldn't wait to watch the show unfold.

"Kotaro? Have you been back through the portal as I have requested?" she asked. Kotaro approached her and nodded.

"Of course My Lady..." he responded, bowing. Lady Oyu reached out her hand to him and he took it lovingly. He kissed it and then moved himself closer to his love, kissing her forehead as well. Lady Oyu smiled her dazzling smile and kissed his nose.

"And what news do you herald?" she asked. Kotaro leaned his head to hers as he spoke.

"Our newest piece has just been placed on the board...he has only just arrived in Japan...though it may be a bit before he makes his presence known...how was the bitch's test?" he questioned curiously.

Lady Oyu nuzzled him as she spoke, "She passed with flying colors...blood everywhere, and when she awakes, she'll not be aware of any of it...and her poor puppy will have to tell her all about it..."

Kotaro grinned, "And she won't believe a word...thus she and the mutt walk the same path he and his former lover...they will betray one another...We'll make sure of it...now rest love...you'll need your strength if you're to be out of bed soon...good night..."

**Me**- wow...I'm sorry I haven't updated for so long. Along with what was listed before the story...I've also had writer's block...which is odd, because I knew exactly what I wanted to write. I just couldn't make myself write...but...well...I forced myself in the end. Mwuahahaha...

**Kags**- You've turned me into a cold-blooded murderer...lovely...

**Me**- Yeah, well, it had to be done...so...live with it...ok? Don't worry...you'll be normal again later.

**Kags**- I better be...or I'll sick your reviewers on you!

**Me**- (cowers in complete and utter fear ) Noooooooo!

**Kachie**- (poofs into Author Note) Now...R&R...please? Make Hekele smile!


	8. Moonlit Nightmares

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Wow...sorry this took so long...I was relishing in my first days of summer vacation and going to grad party after grad party for my cousins...and even people I didn't know! (Friends of evil father...) And I even had to see dear Kachie off at the airport for a fifteen day trip...where is my beloved sister-like friend, you ask? IN JAPAN! That lucky little chika is staying in Japan for FIFTEEN days! She even gets to stay with a host family for eight days! The two parents are English teachers and the daughter is in art club, and is thirteen...and is as in love with anime and manga as the two of us are! Her name is...get this..._Kana_! How awesome is that?

I told her that while she's there, she has to track down Rumiko Takahashi and get her autograph...as well as find the creator of _Tokyo Mew Mew_...I hate how Ichigo ends up with Masaya in the end...everyone knows she needs to be with Ryou Shirogane! Lol...I've only seen the dubbed American version, _Mew Mew Power_, but I hear that _Tokyo Mew Mew_ is soooo much better...and I've seen clips of it in music videos...hell, I even **made **a _Tokyo Mew Mew_ music video! It's to Frou Frou's version of 'I Need A Hero.' Dare I say it...it turned out quite well!

Lol..._Tokyo Mew Mew_ is my new fascination for right now...and I'm even writing a fic of it for Kachie while she's in Japan...featuring Kachie and myself once again! (Yea...I like putting our characters in fics...I do it all the time...I write at least seven different fics a year that never make it to sad huh?) The fic was mostly a little something I wrote and printed out for Kachie to read on her flight...but I didn't get the whole thing done in time...she went to Japan with five out of sixteen pages...whoops...but I finished the chapter and she read it while she was there...and I have also finished chapter two...fo her plane ride home...but since she hasn't written me in a few days, I don't think she'll get it or be able to print it out...so...I'm hanging onto it for now...

Hey...if I get six reviews or more asking for it...I'll post the_ Tokyo Mew Mew _fic...which** _is_** **_more focused_** around Kachie and myself...sorry...(oh, and Ryou doesn't end up with Ichigo...mostly because there are other rapid fan girls who are madly in love with him...mainly me...) The fic, in total, I have decided to be a long-term birthday gift for her...(btw, her birthday was on June 20th, so wish her a happy b-day in a review if you want...she reads them before I do sometimes...)

_**To Kachie, From Hekele:**_

_**Happy sixteenth birthday! This chapter, and an entire Tokyo Mew Mew fic, (whether it gets on or not,) go out to you! You're the best friend that a girl could ask for, and I know that I'm lucky to have you. I hope you had a great time in Japan and that it was your best birthday ever! You deserve it! hugs!**_

Now that I'm done being sentimental...I have a mini contest...(which you guys get partially because of Kachie...so thank her...) the prize will be a song fic to any of the following animes: _Inuyasha_, _Rurouni Kenshin_, _Tokyo Mew Mew_, _Shaman King_, _Wolf's Rain_, _One Piece_, _Digimon_, or, (dare I say it?) _Pokemon_.

The contest should be simple: I wrote some dialogue incorrectly in my last chapter. It is out of character on how this character has spoken since the beginning of this fic...Kachie brought my attention to it, (which is why you get the contest,) and I was wondering if anyone else could catch it. This is your only clue: it ISN'T Kagome...(like I said in the last chappie...she is _supposed_ to be OOC...)

What you have to do is:

1. Give me the character's name.

2. Give me the piece of the character's dialogue that I messed up on.

3. Tell me what I did wrong.

If you are the first to give me these three things, in this EXACT order, you will win the song fic. In you review, please submit your preferred anime and story type, (angst, romance, etc.) as well...

Good luck and have fun!

Disclaimer: I own nothing...not even poor Rumiko...though...if I did...

**Moonlit Nightmares**

Hekele sighed as she hopped through the well. She was finally going home, well, her futuristic home that is...she was at home in either time. It had been about a week, and after periodic checks in their time, they found it safe to return. The pandemonium had ended, and school was starting back up the next morning. Hekele smiled joyously; she could finally sleep in a nice fluffy bed.

"Hekele...you're holding up the line down here...Kagome and I want a nice comfy bed and a lovely hot shower too...oh...and Grandpa is complaining...get a move on!" Kachie scolded. Hekele snapped out of it and continued on her way up.

"Sorry guys...I was just daydreaming about that comfy bed...I'm moving..." she said as she climbed over the top and found herself in the well house. She all but ran into the house, ditching her bag and shoes at the door and making a mad dash for hers and Kagome's bedroom to get a clean set of clothes, and then she ran into the bathroom before anyone could stop her.

It wasn't that she disliked bathing in the Feudal Era, in fact, she loved the hot springs to no end, but there was something about a shower with rose scented shampoo and conditioner that was calling to her that day. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been sleeping well.

Hekele lathered the shampoo into her hair as she went over the past few nights in her mind. She had been waking up from odd nightmares since three days ago, and it was unnerving. Some had to do with her father, and still some seemed not to have meaning. She would be running towards a warm, comforting light, and then suddenly it would turn into a cold and desperate darkness that seemed to suck the warmth out of her.

Hekele entertained the idea that maybe she was being warned to either shape up or go to Hell, but she couldn't figure out what trouble she had gotten into to warrant that idea, so she tossed it aside. The thought was belittled even more when she thought of all the evil creatures in the world...if her dreams were a warning from above...then they must _never_ sleep with all their nightmares...

Then she thought about the fallen angel. _That_ was a much more likely situation. She was probably subconsciously warning herself of the danger...or something like that. But why they came right after dreams of her father, she didn't understand. It just didn't make any sense.

As Hekele rinsed out the shampoo and put in her conditioner, she thought of yet one more possibility. Perhaps it didn't represent Heaven and Hell at all...maybe it only meant that she'd turn evil...

_Ha! ONLY turn evil...that's a big ONLY...but...what if that's it? Wait...it's like a psychological riddle...what do I find warm and comforting? And then...what do I find so dark and cold that the warmth is stolen from my very being? I think that's the key to it's meaning... I won-_

"Hekele! You've been in there for fifteen minutes! Get your ass out!" she heard Kachie yell, effectively snapping her out of her thoughts. She quickly rinsed the last of the conditioner and shut the water off. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her hair and put on her long black fuzzy bathrobe. She walked out of the bathroom, coming face to face with a very annoyed Kachie.

"Did I interrupt your day-dreaming?" Kachie asked, seeing Hekele's semi-dazed expression. Hekele usually was more upbeat after a warm shower...even if Kachie grouched about her taking forever...

Hekele sighed, "Yes and no...I'll be ok; go get what's left of the hot water before Kagome runs in..." Kachie nodded to her softly and went into the bathroom, carefully shutting the door behind her.

Hekele ducked into hers and Kagome's room and, noting that Kagome was not there, grabbed a red cami and a pair of black shorts as pajamas. She quickly dressed and threw her bathrobe back on over it. She slipped on her black slippers and headed downstairs. She needed junk food...

**Feudal Era:**

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin bounced around in the moonlight. She was picking flowers and humming one of Hekele's songs to herself. He found the tune bearable, and unlike some of the rather odd _music_ he would hear from time to time in that era, it had a sort of melody. It was getting late however, and Rin needed her rest. Despite the fact that she was now a demon, she still was growing...and rest was necessary.

"Rin, it is time for you to go to sleep..." he said, just loud enough for her to hear him. Rin obeyed and quickly ran over to her Sesshoumaru, giving him a big hug.

"Ok Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin will go to bed! Good night!" she said as she released him and ran towards Kaede's hut and into the room she resided in. Sesshoumaru chuckled to himself.

"I expected a little more whining than that...oh well, she must be too tired to try..." he said to himself. He decided to take a walk to clear his head...something was bothering him.

After nearly ten minutes of walking leisurely, he found himself assailed with Inuyasha's scent. Curious, he walked a bit further toward the scent and found his brother sitting in a tree, and he appeared to be moping.

"Am I going to be forced into playing the good listener, or the good spy?" he asked candidly. Inuyasha growled loudly, signifying his bad mood. Sesshoumaru chuckled.

"Spy then?" When Inuyasha didn't answer, Sesshoumaru sat at the base of the tree he was sitting in, making himself comfortable, "Are you worried about Kagome still? She seems to have recovered nicely from your altercation a few days ago..."

"Shut-up jack-ass..." was Inuyasha's reply. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed.

"I don't believe that was a proper answer, dear brother, now tell this Sesshoumaru what's got you so agitated before he ceases to give a damn."

Inuyasha sighed to himself, he _did _want someone to talk to, and though he probably would have preferred one of the other girls, Sesshoumaru would have to do, "...Something happened...she wasn't just knocked out..." Sesshoumaru's curiosity was aroused further, and he spared Inuyasha a glance from his position on the ground.

"What didn't you tell us?" he asked. Inuyasha sighed.

"I should really talk to her about it first...she sort of...blacked out..." he said cryptically. Sesshoumaru didn't like where this was going.

"You don't mean when she went unconscious, do you? This..._occurrence_, happened before hand?" he asked. Inuyasha nodded.

"She was acting strange the whole way there...but after we got there she seemed back to normal...and then she blacked out, and went on a rampage...it was like she was dead to the world..." he consented. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly.

"A rampage? That does not sound like Kagome...describe this rampage," he requested. Inuyasha took a deep breath.

"Well, the crystal chic was basically purifying us, like I said when we got back, and Kags was screaming...then, I don't know...something in her must have snapped. She practically tore that creature limb for limb, literally, not figuratively. There was so much screaming, but it was like she couldn't hear it...the whole area was caked in blood...it was insane...and I was pretty damn freaked out. That's when she went completely unconscious..." he explained.

Sesshoumaru was stunned. None of that had sounded at all like he had imagined, and he understood why Inuyasha had kept it from everyone, especially the girls' mother, grandfather, and younger brother. It seemed too out of place for even him to grasp. He couldn't think of anything to explain it...and yet, it most definitely wasn't normal.

"...You said she was acting strange on the way to this creature...what did you mean by that?" he tried, wanting to gather more information. Inuyasha obliged.

"She was just getting used to running at her full speed, and I decided to tease her a bit by running through the trees instead, then SHE did it as well! AT FULL SPEED! It was like she was competing with me! She ended up passing me, and even though I was proud, I was worried. Then she jumped to the tree tops and started running there as well! Then when she tripped, I caught her and we had a rough landing. I told her that she wasn't ready yet, but that she would get used to her senses and be able to do that stuff easier. Then she shoved me away and started yelling at me about how she didn't need my help and that she could take care of herself!" By the end of his story, Inuyasha was so animated that he was standing on the tree branch making gestures and yelling every other sentence.

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples in agitation and sighed. None of these things were making sense. Kagome never acted in this way, and she most definitely **never** pushed Inuyasha away from her and yelled at him for helping her...

"I do not know what to say, little brother, perhaps speaking to her on this matter would be wise...none of it fits together..." he said.

Inuyasha sighed and looked at the sky, trying to get those thoughts out of his head for a while, "So, why are you out here?" Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, in the midst of Inuyasha's rather puzzling situation, he had forgotten his own reason for sulking for a time.

"...Hekele hasn't been sleeping well, it seems that she is having nightmares of her father again. She had one the day the wave knocked the three out, but ever since three days ago, she seems to be having more, and they appear to be getting worse, judging by how many times a night she wakes up...Rin's told me about them, though she hasn't," he said. Inuyasha sighed, shaking his head.

"Fate seems to have an ugly sense of humor lately: Kachie's gotta go away, Kagome's acting strange, and Hekele's having nightmares...I wouldn't doubt it if Sango was about to start doing back-flips everywhere she goes the way things are going now..." he remarked, trying to find a bit of humor in the odd situation. Sesshoumaru smirked slightly, but nothing more.

"It would seem that way...let's hope things do not get worse..." he said, before rising and walking away silently. Inuyasha watched him go and sighed heavily, still quite bothered about the whole thing.

_Thanks for listening though, I guess you're good for something bro._

**Modern Era:**

Hekele shot up, breathing heavily. She was covered in a cold sweat and tears alike, and her heart was racing. She had just had another pair of those dreams...and neither were pleasant. She curled up in the corner and rested her head on the wall. These had been horrid nightmares...worse than usual.

_**Dream Sequence:**_

She had been laying in a heap on the floor, covered in blood and tons of blankets, and she had looked to be pale and dehydrated. All the life in her eyes seemed to have been drained away...almost as if she had never possessed it in the first place. She appeared to be in a basement of some sort, and then the view shifted to a thermostat, which showed a whopping 110 degrees Fahrenheit. She couldn't move...she was too weak. Surrounding her were bloody knives and even a bloody baseball bat.

_God...someone must really hate me..._ she had thought. Then a door had opened above her and light seeped into the dark room. There was a tall man standing there in the doorway, and though Hekele couldn't see his face, she knew who it was.

He descended the stairs and looked at her with disgust. He grabbed her throat and threw her into the nearest wall. He then held her there, strangling her, "Haven't you died yet? No one's coming for you...no one loves you..."

It had been the first time that Hekele had heard his voice in her dreams, and it haunted her. She then had the honor of feeling a knife pierce through her heart. And no one had saved her. She had died against that wall, in her father's grasp, with a knife in her heart, in mere seconds...and no one had stopped it.

_**End Dream Sequence**_

Hekele had never heard his voice since the day she had gone to live at the agency. Truth be told, she never wanted to hear it again, but part of her knew that someday she would.

Her other dream had been just as bad.

_**Dream Sequence:**_

Hekele was dancing. She was alone, spinning in circles and wearing a white gown. She was in a room so full of light that you had to squint to see her at all. Hekele had never seen such a beautiful light before.

Then Hekele saw a black speck on the floor. She stopped dancing to observe it curiously. It seemed so out of place, and yet so harmless...she was intrigued.

_Close your eyes and disappear..._

_While darkness claws at your heart..._

The speck suddenly exploded into a large pool of black. Little tentacles shot out and wrapped themselves around her arms, legs, and waist. She screamed and screamed, but no sound came out. Then she heard a voice...it was dark and seductive...it told her what a bad person she was, and that she had to be punished for her crimes...

_Calling you..._

_Blaming you for all it's done..._

_Claiming you..._

It slowly began devouring her. She continued to try to scream, but still, no sound came out of her mouth.

_Can't you see it eating you?_

_Pulling you into its world?_

_Can't you see the pain it loves?_

_Causing you to fail!_

It pulled her down to her knees into the begging position. And then she heard herself beg. When her voice finally seemed to work, it was begging for forgiveness for some crime she knew not of.

_Fall and end this damn charade!_

_Let it end all your emptiness!_

The darkness began to seep into her. Her bright, shining eyes lost their shimmer, and her smile turned into a sneer. Her soft facial features turned jagged and fiercely dangerous. The lost shimmer in those eyes was replaced by black irises with red specks in them. Her demonic features revealed themselves, only they seemed different somehow. They looked threatening instead of friendly and loving. Her long, white, gown was torn and tattered; the darkness seeped into it as well, turning it into an obsidian color. She cried tears of blood.

_Turn your heart to steal..._

_And let your shackles fall!_

Then the darkness released her. She looked damaged and almost evil. She was definitely not the same Hekele that had been dancing only moments beforehand. It was then that blood began flowing from her body. Her bloody tears stained her face; upon her arms, cuts appeared and bled horribly. Her legs were sliced in many places, and her old scars reopened and bled as well...

_Let the crimson life adorn..._

_Every fucking thing you own!_

_Bleed until your blood runs dry!_

_Die and let the darkness in!_

Then, the Dark Hekele in the dream looked up and sneered at what appeared to be a younger Hekele...perhaps from when she was about eight years old...before her troubles had begun... The Dark Hekele walked up to her with a look of pure hate and malice about her face. When she reached the trembling little one, she grabbed her throat and raised her from the ground. She brought her within an inch of her own face and snarled.

"_Die and let me fucking win!"_

_**End Dream Sequence**_

That had to have been the most terrifying sequence that Hekele had ever had. She couldn't sleep any longer, and didn't know what to do. She entertained the idea of waking Kagome up and talking to her about it...but she had seemed a little out of it for the past few days, and Hekele didn't want to bother her. She sighed and crawled out of bed; she was too awake to sleep. She slipped on her slippers and bathrobe and headed downstairs.

Once in the kitchen, she put on a pot of coffee and waited at the table for it to be made. She idly leafed through a couple of magazines and, when the coffee was done, grabbed a mug of it and sat on the livingroom couch. She turned on the television, making sure to keep the volume down, and absently flipped through the channels, hoping to find something good.

She was flipping channels until she came across Adult Swim. She kept it there and watched a _Wolf's Rain_ marathon until dawn. She had made ten trips to the kitchen to get more coffee, and had actually made herself a second pot.

Souta came walking down the stairs groggily. He sat on the couch next to Hekele and watched the television for a few moments before turning to her and speaking.

"So, which episode is this? I can't remember..." he asked. Hekele sighed.

"It's the last one. You know, where they either make it to Paradise or die trying."

Souta frowned at her tone, "Have you seen it before?"

"Yep."

"What happened?"

Hekele growled at the television, "No power on this Earth will force me to tell you how disappointed in the ending I am..."

Souta nodded and snuggled up next to her, still rather sleepy, "Let me guess, they all died trying?" Hekele only nodded, allowing him to rest on her shoulder. If she couldn't have a good night's sleep, she'd compensate by letting _him _get back to dreamland.

Two hours later, Hekele had Souta wrapped up in a blanket and was still sitting by the television. Kagome had woken up...Hekele heard the shower upstairs. Kachie had then woken up because of the shower, and since she had fallen out of the bed when trying to get out, Grandpa had woken up due to the huge resounding thud, which in turn had woken up Ms. H., since Grandpa's room was right next to hers and he was hitting the ceiling with a broom because of all the noise. Souta remained blissfully asleep, however, and Hekele remained 'blissfully' awake.

Kagome came downstairs, looking rather chipper, and came across the sight of Hekele and Souta on the couch, "Aww...that would make an adorable picture...how long have you been awake?" Hekele snorted.

"All night..." she said. Kagome flashed her a look of concern.

"How come? Are you feeling all right?" she asked, feeling Hekele's forehead.

Hekele smiled slightly, "Physically, I feel fine, but mentally, I think I need some work." Ms. H. walked into the room and smiled at the two girls, until she saw the bags under Hekele's eyes and pale face.

"Oh dear...do you feel ill honey?" she asked, mimicking Kagome and feeling her forehead. Hekele shook her head.

"Nope...I just didn't sleep much...that's all..."

Ms. H. wasn't fooled, "How long have you been up?"

Hekele snorted once more, "Long enough to watch the entire _Wolf's Rain_ marathon..." Ms. H. looked at her for a moment before shaking her head.

"You're staying home and resting...Kagome, please bring her work home from school..." she requested. Kagome nodded and went to work on getting some toast for breakfast.

Ms. H. looked at Hekele once more before taking Souta and ushering the girl upstairs, "Now go and get some sleep! If I walk in there and find you awake, you'll suffer for it!" It was a light joke, but Hekele couldn't help but shed a tear as she walked up the stairs.

_Can't you see though? I'm suffering in my sleep..._

**Feudal Era:**

"She didn't sleep all night. Apparently, she came downstairs around two in the morning and was awake ever since. She hasn't slept since then either...every time I go to check on her, she's wide awake. I don't know what to do...do you have any ideas?" Ms. H. explained to Lady Kaede. She had decided that Hekele's insomnia was troubling and she wanted the wise woman's advice. She knew that Kaede was the one that everyone in the feudal era turned to for advice, and couldn't think of a better person to ask herself.

Kaede seemed troubled, "These do not seem like Hekele's usual sleeping habits. I am worried as well...will she talk to ye about it?"

Ms. H. sighed, "I don't know if she would...she doesn't seem to be in the talking mood...she just refuses to sleep..."

Kaede sighed, "I hate to bring a fourth party into this...but perhaps ye should ask Lord Sesshoumaru to speak to her. She would willingly speak to him, and I'm certain that he would willingly come to speak to her about this problem...this is mighty strange..." Ms. H. sighed.

"Well, thank you Lady Kaede...I'm sorry to bother you with this, but the girls always said that you were the one they could talk to when they had a problem that they couldn't solve..." she said as she bowed politely to the old woman. Lady Kaede smiled at her and waved her hand.

"Ye are a lucky one to have such wonderful girls, _and_ ye are lucky to have such devoted men after their hearts...they would do anything for one another...ye must know that..." she said.

Ms. H. smiled a bit, "Was that a hidden message?"

Lady Kaede smiled once more, "But of course...ye must not worry about the strange things that are happening...if Kachie is indeed taken from ye...I can guarantee that Koga will get her back sooner than ye would believe possible, and as for Hekele's sleeping troubles, ye know that whatever is causing them shall be taken care of by Lord Sesshoumaru...he has a way of calming her by only listening..."

Ms. H. sighed, "I can't help but shake the feeling that this is all connected to that...fallen angel...oh, you probably think I'm over-reacting..." Lady Kaede shook her head.

"No...I have entertained the same thought in my own mind many a time...and it is more than likely the case...but until Sango and Kagome show signs of something being wrong, we can't be sure..." she said. Ms. H. Studied her for a moment.

"Wouldn't things be more complicated if they were being caused by one person? I mean...they power it would take to do something like this..." she trailed off, worried.

Lady Kaede brushed her fears aside with a tell-tale smile that told of calm, "No...it would make it all the easier for them to deal with...because they would all be fighting for one another, and not their own cause...they love each other in one way or another, and would be happier avenging their own wrongs if they could help avenge a friend's wrong as well..."

Ms. H. smiled once more, "Thank you Lady Kaede...and I will speak to Lord Sesshoumaru...I have a hunch that Hekele really wouldn't speak to anyone else about this..."

**Modern Era:**

Sesshoumaru had all but jumped at the opportunity to discover the cause of Hekele's insomnia, and if she grew angry with him for being intrusive, he could always pretend to be indifferent and say it was Ms. H.'s idea...which it _was_...

He had gone down the well and had changed into some modern clothes as soon as he had emerged. Perhaps he would take Hekele for a walk...he found it soothing, and perhaps she would as well. Fresh air might do her some good after being cooped up in her room all morning...

He lightly knocked on her bedroom door and, when he received no answer, opened it quietly and walked inside. Upon a first glance, one would believe Hekele to be asleep, however, to Sesshoumaru's trained ears, her breathing was irregular, and he could easily tell that she was faking it.

"Come now Hekele, even as a human I can tell that you aren't slumbering..." he said smoothly. After a moment, he heard her sigh heavily before rolling onto her back to face him. She truly did look tired and pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

Sesshoumaru walked over and carefully sat on the bed next to her. He brushed some hair out of her face gently and looked at her for a long moment before either of them spoke.

"So, Mommy called in the calvary?" Hekele asked. Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small smile.

"Yes, and I must say, I am quite curious as to what is troubling you so much that you refuse to sleep..." he said nonchalantly. Hekele sighed once more.

"...It really isn't anything...I just couldn't sleep last night..." she said. Sesshoumaru took her chin in his hand softly and turned her face so that she was looking him straight in the eyes.

"Do not lie to this Sesshoumaru...I know that you are Hekele; with you, there is always a reason," he said wisely. Hekele just looked at him for a few minutes before grudgingly giving in. She really wanted to talk about it, and it was so hard to keep a secret from him...but she didn't want to worry him either...

"...Fine...I had more nightmares...It's childish...ok? It really isn't anything..." she said. Sesshoumaru didn't miss her tone of voice, however. She sounded as though she were trying to convince herself of the same thing.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb and sighed, "Will you stop acting Hekele-chan? I know that it is troubling you, and for that reason alone I would like to know it...childish or no."

Hekele took a deep breath, knowing that she had lost, "I've been having...multiple nightmares a night...and they always come in pairs...and last night's two were worse than usual..."

She proceeded to tell him about the two nightmares, and explain their significance to the best of her knowledge. When she had to explain the second nightmare, she had to double back and explain the poem pieces that had appeared in her head during the nightmare, and how they related to the events. Sesshoumaru's face was one of mild confusion and immense pain. Hekele began slowly breaking down just talking about the dreams; her tears were falling soon after beginning her tale of the second dream, and he could only imagine what it must have been like to experience them first hand.

He pulled her into a warm embrace and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. He stroked her back soothingly and rested his head on hers. Hekele only wrapped her arms around his waist and held him as if for dear life.

Sesshoumaru held her firmly for a few moments before speaking, "No one shall harm you while I'm here...do you understand? I _will _protect you..."

Hekele managed a weak smile in return, "What happens when we're separated by five hundred years?"

Sesshoumaru paused, not having thought of that, before retorting, "If anyone did do you harm while I was away, I'd kill them when I returned. But this much I can promise you for certain...I will never stop caring for you, and as long as I do care, you will be my top priority..."

Hekele giggled slightly, "And what about poor Rin?" It was Sesshoumaru's turn to smile, glad that she was slowly returning to normal.

"You and Rin are equal in my heart...what I would do for one, I would gladly do for the other...now ease your mind and get some rest...you need it..." he said jokingly. A stuffed bear slammed him in the head a few times before Hekele ceased her revenge for the comment. Sesshoumaru gripped her wrists so that she couldn't hit him anymore in one hand and gently gripped her chin with the other. He looked her in the eye for a moment, almost daring her to try something, before leaning down and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.

He stood up to leave before she could react to the display of affection. When he reached the door he turned back to her and smirked to himself when he saw her touching her cheek and blushing, "Sleep, Hekele-chan, or I'll bring a rather loud Inuyasha with me next time and give you a valid reason not to..." With that, he left the room and silently closed her door. Hekele smiled to herself, still blushing, and curled back up in her bed. With Sesshoumaru acting so lovingly towards her, how could she not have sweeter dreams? She was willing to give it a try at least...

As he walked down the hall and down the stairs, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but allow his concern to slip onto his face. Hekele's dreams most definitely meant _something_, but what that something was, was a mystery, and he was worried.

None of it made sense to him, Hekele's dreams, Kagome's frightening behavior, or, Sesshoumaru thought idly, Kachie's sudden need to depart. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that everything was connected. But why did the fallen hate them so, and why was she only targeting the females in her revenge?

Only time would tell...

**Feudal Era:**

Lady Oyu stretched in her bed and felt two warm arms constricting her. She turned her head a bit and saw Kotaro's slumbering face. She smiled slightly and curled up closer to him, and he tightened his hold around her.

"Were you afraid this one would get cold, love?" she asked, teasing him lightly. Her response was him nuzzling her slightly and a light peck on the forehead. His expression broke into a soft smile as he opened his eyes to gaze upon her.

"Love...the spell is working better than this one would have expected..." she said idly, beginning to stroke his hair. Kotaro's smile faded slightly, but still remained.

"And what have you seen in your dreams my lady?" he asked. Lady Oyu gently pecked his cheek.

"Hekele seems to be having nightmares about her father, rather nasty ones at that. The spell was quite clever to give them to her so that she could slowly break before her true torture was bestowed upon her...she's also having nightmares about us love, right after the nightmares of her darling daddy..." she said.

Kotaro was slightly taken aback, "How about us? Our faces?" he asked, slightly concerned. Lady Oyu shook her head.

"No, the dreams are representation of our essences. She sees no person in them but herself...yet our auras and essences are in the dreams as well. You'll love how we torment her so love..." she said, snuggling into his hakama. Kotaro idly began stroking her long locks as the two lay there. After a few moments, he felt her breathing even out, signifying that she had gone back to sleep. Ever so carefully, he unwrapped her arms from him and gently laid her down beside him. He slowly got out of bed, making sure not to wake her. He quietly changed into a set of clothes he had retrieved the other day, for blending purposes, and folded his hakama and set it gently on the bed. He noticed that Lady Oyu was only half covered by the blanket and kindly tucked her in better, wanting her to be warm. Her night-gown was rather thin for the winter weather, and he didn't want her to catch cold while she was already almost too weak to get out of bed.

He gently pecked her cheek and walked to the doorway pausing when he reached to look back at the sleeping woman, "Is revenge _all _you dream of, love?"

**Me:** Well? Did you guys like it?

**Sesshoumaru:** Interesting...that...poem in the chapter...where did you get that dark and hateful piece of work from?

**Me:** (smiles) I wrote it. Then I published it in my long forgotten blog, and my band buddies online gave me an idea for a title, since Iasked for help. They told me that it reminded me of a song they wrote...

**Sesshoumaru:** (concerned) So...who are these psychotic idiots writing songs like that?

**Me:** The band is a local one, called born. You can go to http/ check them out; just look up 'born' in the music section!

**Sesshoumaru:** You're advertising these people?

**Me:** (shrugs) Why not?

**Sango:**(poofs into author's note) The next chapter is focused on Miroku and me...so read it! Also, do not forget the contest in the beginning author's note, or your vote whether or not Hekele should post her Tokyo Mew Mew fic...she will write it either way though...there's no stopping that...oh, and one more thing...

**All characters in my _Inuyasha _and _Tokyo Mew Mew_ fics:** HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY KACHIE-CHAN! YOU ROCK ON ICE!


	9. Wedding Gowns and Jealousy

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Sniffles Only two people tried out my contest! And I am very sad to say that they guessed the same character, and same line...and both were wrong...Honestly, was Myoga yelling at Inuyasha and Kagome _that_ OOC! In the movies, and in some episodes, I've seen him yell at them like that, (in times of panic...) so I assumed that it was ok.

Well, I'm going to give you one more chance...It's in my last Kag/Inu chapter, it isn't Kagome, and it ISN'T Myoga...ok, there you go...Good Luck!

Ok, now, Kachie really seems to want me to post my _Tokyo Mew Mew _fic...but I only got one review asking for me to post it...none of my others even mentioned it...so, once again, I am asking you whether or not I should post it...but know this: I AM WRITING THE FIC EITHER WAY...BY TELLING ME NOT TO POST IT YOU ARE **_NOT _**PREVENTING ME FROM WRITING IT...

Ok, this is my latest Sango/Miroku chappie. Their part of the plot is about to begin...and by golly was it hard to formulate! You would not believe how difficult this was...but here it is...

**Wedding Gowns and Jealously**

Sango breathed in the fresh air as she, Miroku, and Kohaku rode Kirara towards the ruins of the demon slayer village. She was pleased that they were finally going to get to work on rebuilding it.

"Miroku, thanks again for suggesting this..." she said. Miroku shook his head.

"Think nothing of it Sango-chan...I'm just happy that the three of us can get away from the insanity for a while..." he said.

Kohaku rolled his eyes as his future brother-in-law's hand made its way towards his sister's rear, "Miroku, don't even think about it...I'm watching that hand of yours..." Sango snapped her head around in time to see Miroku's hand make a hasty retreat to his lap. He smiled sheepishly at her.

"I don't know where he got _that _idea...I was just going to give you a hug..." he said, making a fast excuse. Sango's eyes narrowed at him.

"Hentai...luckily for me, my ever-loving little brother is here to keep and eye on you..." she said in a low tone, but Kohaku caught the remark and smirked at the back of Miroku's head. He may respect the monk and approve of him, but he really didn't appreciate the fact that he still groped his sister...in front of _him_. He would have to make a mental note to tell Miroku not to grope Sango unless he wasn't around...he didn't feel like tattle-tailing the entire time the three were on this little trip...

_Although...it **could **be fun to pop around every corner and completely irritate him and Sango...hmmm..._ he thought mischievously, smirking once more.

Miroku and Sango carefully surveyed the village ruins while Kohaku checked out the stability of the few huts that remained standing intact. The village, as a whole, appeared to be too damaged to save, but upon further inspection, the group found that much of the lumber was in good condition, and could be used in building new huts. After their survey, the group decided that their first priority would be to sort out the usable lumber from the damaged or rotted lumber, and then to decide whether or not some of the ruins were fixable or not.

"So, we have three huts in livable condition, and six that are questionable for repair..." Miroku said as he ran the numbers through his head. Nine huts plus a larger hut for the head of the village would be a good start, and as the village became more populated, they could build more huts to compensate.

"Even if only a few of those six questionable huts _can_ be repaired, it's an extremely good start..." he said. Kohaku and Sango nodded in unison, having already thought the same thing.

Kohaku looked at the sky and frowned, "We picked a wonderful day to start this...it looks like a storm's coming..." Sango followed his gaze and sighed.

"Let's get as much done as we can...then we'll wait out the storm in one of the stable huts..." she suggested. Miroku nodded.

"That sounds like a plan to me...let's start with that hut over there..."

Kagura looked around at the sky and grimaced. She and Kanna really shouldn't be flying in her feather with a storm so near, but they had gotten so bored. The group seemed to be wrapped up in their own problems at the moment, what with Inuyasha's constant sulking, Hekele's apparent insomnia, Kachie's time with the group wearing thin, and this fallen angel that had appeared. Though no one had met her in person as of yet, she still posed a great threat to the group, since her powers were foreign to them...

"Kanna, do you still have your mirror?" she asked the young demoness beside her. Kagura hadn't seen the said mirror since the final battle with Naraku, and was a bit curious.

Kanna nodded slightly, "I still have it, yes, but I haven't used it for anything...I don't...really want to use it..." Kagura nodded in understanding. Ever since Kanna had regained her soul, she had begun to develop a personality. The personality was, surprisingly, rather innocent, unless Inuyasha was involved, then, for some odd reason, it turned rather mischievous. But back to the innocent part; she was sweet, kind, good natured, modest, and seemed to be getting to be a rather affectionate little girl. She was beginning to get used to hugs, and seemed to enjoy them more and more. Like most kids her age, she thrived on approval, but did not depend on it.

Her morals had also given her a sense of guilt, which, like Kagura's was ever present. Both regretted the things they had done to this group that had taken them in with open arms, and many of those things involved Kanna's mirror...

"I understand your disdain for the mirror...but perhaps it would be able to see the fallen...and be useful in gaining information on her..." Kagura explained. Kanna seemed to think it over for a moment, before smiling slightly.

"It may...perhaps she doesn't know of it, and so will have no defense for it...when we return to Kaede's Village, I shall try it out..." she said thoughtfully. Kagura grinned.

"Great, but for now, let's bug Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku...we need some entertainment..." she said evilly, almost cackling, ALMOST...

Then the rain started, and the two groaned irritably. Now they would be soaked...

Sango sighed as she sat by the fire the trio had made in one of the huts. The rain had ruined their first day at work on the village, but at least they had gotten something done. Miroku didn't seem to be sulking much though, and neither did Kohaku; the two were in the middle of a discussion about possible names for the village, since it would no longer be a demon slayer village.

"What about Ichigo Town?" Miroku suggested. Kohaku made a face.

"What, are we supposed to grow strawberries here?" he asked. Miroku growled.

"Maybe! Fine, what do you think we should call it Mr. Smartie-Scythe!" he questioned. Both Sango and Kohaku looked at him oddly; where did 'Mr. Smartie-Scythe' come from? Stupid former monk...

After recovering from his stupor, Kohaku retorted, "What about Yama Village?"

Miroku smirked, "Something so simple as Mountain Village?"

"At least I'm not implying that we're strawberry farmers!" Kohaku said, sticking his tongue out. Sango began rubbing her temples and was about to yell at the both of them when a deep feminine voice met her ears.

"Ne, bakas, call it Chouwa Village...you want both demons and humans to be able to live here in _harmony_ right?" Kagura said, stepping into the hut, Kanna trailing behind her. Both were soaking wet from the ongoing storm outside.

Sango jumped up and grabbed a few blankets that had been discovered on a shelf and gave them to the two girls, "What are you two doing here? Not that we aren't happy to see you, it's just a surprise!" She beamed at the two, happy to have some girls to talk to.

Kagura grinned, "We were bored and no one was paying attention to us, so we hopped on my now sopping feather and headed over to see how you guys were progressing and to see if we could help...then the storm came..." Kanna nodded in affirmative from behind her sister and smiled slightly.

Kohaku saw Kanna and blushed slightly; he seemed to be doing that more and more whenever she was around. He moved over to the side a bit, making room for both her and Kagura to sit down next to him by the fire.

The two obliged happily and made their way over to the fire. It wasn't like they would get sick and die or anything, but they _were _uncomfortably cold, and the fire seemed welcoming. Kanna sat next to Kohaku and Kagura between her and Miroku. Sango placed herself on the other side of Miroku and shot him a warning glance before directing her attention back to their visitors.

"So, what have you gotten done so far?" Kanna asked. Kohaku jumped into the conversation.

"We were able to determine that three huts are still in livable condition, including this one, and that six are in question as to whether or not they can be repaired. We've also sorted a bunch of lumber that can be reused for either repairing the other huts or building new ones..." he said, almost in one breath. Miroku smirked to himself, knowing that Kohaku had a slight crush on Kanna. Kagura and Sango smiled knowingly at one another, having come to the same conclusion long ago as well.

Kanna blushed a bit at Kohaku's attention, "Wow...you guys sound like you did a lot for being rained out..." Kohaku smiled at her praise, even though he knew it was meant for everyone.

"We tried...but we didn't get done though...we'll probably get finished with that part in a day or so...having demonic abilities has its perks..." he said thoughtfully, staring off into space. Kanna couldn't help but giggle at his distracted face, and Sango ruffled his hair.

"Kohaku...we've got to find a way to broaden your attention-span..." she said jokingly, causing everyone to break out into snickers and Kohaku to blush furiously.

"Not funny, Sango..." he mumbled, rather annoyed. Kanna gave him a smile.

"Sorry Kohaku...but it _was_ kind of cute when you spaced out..." she said. Kohaku's cheeks flared up and his entire face turned red.

"It wasn't _cute_..." he muttered under his breath, but Kanna heard him, and laughed a bit.

"Actually, it was Kohaku-kun...but just a little..." she replied, smiling. Kohaku turned three shades darker when he heard her call him '-kun.'

Kagura snickered to herself when Kanna started to blush for the same reason. It was just too funny. Kohaku and Kanna would make the most adorable little couple if they ever got past the whole blushing stage...

After a small dinner over the fire, the group waited patiently for the rain to stop, and they were relieved when, just before sunset, it did. Everyone split up to look around to see if the storm had done any extra damage, and to show Kanna and Kagura around. Sango took them while Kohaku and Miroku went back to work, even though they didn't want to.

Sango pulled her two friends into a very large set of ruins, "Any idea where we are?" Kagura looked around, and smiled.

"Ne...your old home Sango?" she asked. Sango nodded proudly. Kanna walked around slowly, taking in everything she was seeing with a mild sort of fascination. Kagura looked around as well, as did Sango, for she hadn't been in her old home for a while. She walked around into another room, and found the roof collapsed on it. She would have walked on, but something caught her attention. She pulled some of the rubble away, only to have a bit more fall on it.

Kagura and Kanna saw what she was doing and walked over to help. After five minutes of moving rubble, they were able to pull out what Sango had been captivated by; a wooden chest. After dusting the rather large chest off and moving it into a stable part of the hut, Sango decided to open it.

She nearly began to cry. Inside the chest, was her mother's beautiful silk wedding kimono. It was white trimmed in gold with golden roses elaborately embroidered into it, and though it was old, torn, and tattered, it was still the most lovely thing that Sango had ever seen. In the chest under the kimono was a golden colored obi to match, which was in only sightly better shape than the dress.

Kanna gaped at the gorgeous kimono, "Wow Sango...was that your mother's?" Sango only nodded before pulling the kimono to her chest and hugging it.

Kagura smiled, "Well, I suppose that saves us the trouble of finding you a wedding kimono huh?" Sango looked at her strangely.

"I would love nothing more than to be married in this Kagura...but, it's beyond saving...look at it...it's torn, and dirty beyond cleaning..." she said sadly. Kagura sighed.

"Well, at least take it to show the other girls...you know they'd love to see it as well...perhaps get one made exactly like it?" she suggested. Kanna nodded.

"Yes...Kagome, Kachie, and Hekele would love to see this...and...maybe they could help you make a new one?" she tried, also trying to cheer Sango up. Sango gave them both grateful smiles.

"I'll do that...thank you..." she said honestly. The two girls gave her gentle looks and stood up, dusting themselves off.

"Well," Kagura began, "why don't we get this bundled up and hidden from Miroku? We want him to be surprised when you walk down the isle..."

Kanna beamed, imagining his face, "Miroku would probably drop dead from shock...you'll look so beautiful that he won't know what to do with you!"

Sango blushed, "Stop flattering me...I'll get a big head...and trust me when I say that it won't be pretty..."

Kagura chuckled a bit, before her eyes turned serious, "So, what are you going to do about the boys?" Sango looked at her questioningly, and she elaborated, "Inuyasha and Koga...I know for a fact that neither of them can dance...so what are you going to do when it comes time to dance at your reception?"

Sango's face twisted into an evil grin, "Ms. Higurashi and I already spoke on that subject...and we've come up with a solution!"

Kanna grinned, knowing that whatever torture the bride-to-be had in store for Inuyasha would be fun to observe, "So...what is this great plan of yours?"

Sango rubbed her hands together evilly, "Within the next few days, Ms. H. is going to begin to give them dancing lessons..."

Kagura grinned in an almost psychotic manner, "Excellent..."

Miroku and Kohaku waltzed around the village, surveying the damage, and were happy to find most everything as they had left it, though much more damp. Kohaku looked at the ruins a bit sadly as he passed by them, not going unnoticed by Miroku.

"You still feel pain over this?" he asked, referring to Kohaku's slowly recovering memories of killing his family and fellow slayers. Kohaku himself nodded.

"Of course I do...I don't think that I'll ever be able to forgive myself...I took all these people's lives away...nothing can change that..." he said remorsefully as they passed the make-shift graveyard. Miroku gripped his shoulder supportively.

"Kohaku...it was not your doing...it was Naraku's. True, he used your hand, but it wasn't your fault...do not feel guilt when it does not belong to you...none here, alive or dead, feel resentment toward you...so do not feel it toward yourself..." he consoled. Kohaku smiled slightly, and nodded.

"I will take what you say to heart Miroku...but it may be a while before I fully believe it..." he said. Miroku sighed, giving up for the time, and continued walking.

The two were making their way back to the hut where they had stayed out the rain, when they faintly heard something. It sounded like a human voice, and feminine. It was very far away, but coming towards them. Kohaku and Miroku exchanged curious glances. Why would anyone be heading to the abandoned, and _secret_ demon slayer village? When the person's aura reached Miroku, he felt odd. It was familiar...but...he couldn't quite place it. Then they clearly heard the woman's voice...

"Hello? Is anyone here? Hellooo!" it rang, soft and gentle. Miroku's eyes widened as he recognized the voice, and a vaguely familiar figure made her way through the ruined gate.

He breathed her name uncertainly, "Koharu?"

Sango felt the approaching aura and, like Miroku had, lightly recalled it from somewhere. She also heard the soft voice, and felt herself tense slightly. She too knew that voice. It belonged to the one girl Sango knew to have wanted to bear Miroku's children...well, until she had anyway. This girl was a few years younger than her...probably only fifteen now that a year had passed since they had last seen one another...

Sango sighed to herself; Koharu had feelings for Miroku, and she knew this to its fullest extent. But before charging out to her fiancé and watching his every move, she reminded herself that he _was_ her fiancé, and that he loved her. She knew in her heart that she had nothing to worry about...if Naraku's test all those months ago had taught her anything at least...

Kagura looked at Sango quizzically, "Why does this aura ring a bell in me?" Kanna nodded, also quite perplexed. Sango slapped her head in realization. The group had first met Kanna when she stole Koharu's soul...

She laughed nervously, "Heheh...remember the first time you met us in person Kanna? Well...she was with Kagome when you tried to steal her soul..." Kanna looked to be deep in thought for a moment before she seemed to place a face to the aura; she looked down at the ground, as if in shame, and sighed.

"...Do you think that she'll remember me?" she asked sadly. Sango seemed to think for a moment before shrugging.

"You're so different now...and you have your soul...even if she did remember you...I'm sure she'd forgive you once she heard the whole story..." she offered honestly. Kanna nodded slightly and looked at Kagura, who was smiling encouragingly at her.

"I'm sure Sango's right Kanna...why don't we hurry up with this kimono and get out there and say hello, ne? Get it over with perhaps?" she offered. Kanna nodded, more to herself than the other two, and got to work wrapping the kimono as gently as she could. Sango and Kagura sighed and helped her out. It _was_ a big kimono...

One thing stuck in Kagura's mind though, and it wouldn't go away... _Why is Koharu here in the village? She couldn't have known that Miroku would be here...could she?_

When the trio of girls reached the gate with their wrapped package, Sango had to restrain herself from getting jealous, not that it worked...Koharu had her arms wrapped around Miroku's neck and seemed to be trying to squeeze him to death. She _was _happy to note, however, that Miroku looked uncomfortable...

"Koharu, what a pleasant surprise; what brings you here?" she asked kindly, but everyone seemed to be able to pick up on a the slight malice in her voice.

Miroku took the chance to pry himself from the girl's embrace and back up a bit, "Yes, Koharu, what is it that brings you to the former demon slayer village?" He took his place next to Sango and flashed her a quick smile as he grasped her hand. This seemed to calm her a bit, but she still couldn't stop the jealous feeling inside of her.

_How strange...I know he loves me...but...why won't this feeling leave me?_ She thought to herself.

Koharu smiled warmly at the group, "I've decided to take up traveling; I want to see things! I just happened to be in the area and saw the damaged gates, I suppose...I was looking for shelter for the night; I was already caught in the rain, and I didn't want to go through that again!"

Sango felt her inner jealousy subside a bit, but still, it flared around her. She couldn't help but feel a bit frightened of herself at that moment; her rage wasn't dissipating like it normally would, especially since Miroku wasn't showing any signs of interest in Koharu...

She tried to shake her own thoughts from her head, "Would you stay with us for the night? We're in the process of rebuilding the village, so there isn't much, but we have a few habitable huts still..."

Miroku looked at Sango uncertainly; he hadn't expected her to welcome Koharu in so willingly...let alone suggest the idea. He couldn't help but be happy that she didn't appear cross with him, as he had the feeling she would be. He had no feelings for Koharu, but she at least still cherished him a bit, if that constricting embrace left any indication. Miroku squeezed Sango's hand a bit more, glad that he was lucky enough to have her.

"Yes, by all means, stay a night here with a roof over your head. It looks as though it may begin raining again soon, and you should at least stay dry for one night in your travels..." he said.

Koharu gave him an adoring look, "My, still the ever-generous monk I see...I would be honored to stay the night here; thank you very much..."

Miroku laughed a bit nervously, "Things have changed in the year since we've seen one another. I am no longer a monk, and am currently engaged to the lovely Lady Sango...among _other_ changes..."

Koharu's face faltered for a fraction of a second, but covered it quickly, "Oh? So you've found someone besides the naive fourteen year-old girl to bear your children...how lovely for you! I'm glad that you've found happiness Houshi-sama, and you as well Sango-san..."

Sango felt herself calm dramatically when Miroku acknowledged her as his fiancé, and even more so when Koharu wished their union well, but still, her jealousy raged on. It was a never ending cycle, and nothing seemed to calm her completely. Even the most significant things seemed meaningless, and it upset Sango greatly.

_What's happening to me? I know I get jealous easily...but never like this! And there's no reason for it either...What am I supposed to do?_

Miroku saw the dilemma on Sango's face and gave her a concerned look, "Are you all right Sango? Is something the matter?" Sango shook her head.

"N-no! I-I-I just realized how terribly rude I was being! Koharu, this is my younger brother, Kohaku, and these two are friends of ours, Kagura, and Kanna..." she said, dancing around her lie expertly. Miroku nodded to her gently. Once more, he squeezed her hand, and this time leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek as well.

"Sango certainly is jumpy this evening, isn't she?" he whispered in her ear. Sango blushed a bit, but said nothing. Koharu was busy chattering with Kagura and Kanna, who still felt a bit upset. However, since Koharu had yet to discover who she was, she decided not to say anything...

"I'm sorry...I just...got a bit...jealous...and for some reason, though there is no reason for the feeling to remain...it is..." she whispered back, not wanting to draw attention to them. Unfortunately, Kohaku was watching them, and noticed their exchanges. He would have to ask them about that later...

"So...after Naraku was defeated, your friend made a wish on the Jewel and turned you all into demons? That's...incredible...I suppose...odd...but incredible..." Koharu admitted. Miroku smiled softly.

"Does it change your opinions of us; the fact that we are no longer human?" he asked slyly, honestly curious about her answer.

Koharu smiled and shook her head, "No...it only surprised me. I know that you are good people, and changing forms wouldn't change that fact..."

Sango felt that pang of jealousy rising within her once more. It seemed that Koharu was just completely taboo, and nothing she did to make it known that she wasn't there for Miroku would change that feeling. Sango sighed a bit to herself, and curled her knees to her chest while she listened to the two begin to chatter away. Kagura and Kanna had gone to bed, and Kohaku was close to doing the same. Sango couldn't help but feel left out and a bit awkward...like she didn't belong there.

"Sango-chan? Are you feeling ok? You seem upset..." Miroku started, genuinely noticing Sango's actions and feeling concern for her, "Why don't we all go to bed...it's been a long day for everyone..."

Everyone still awake immediately took to the idea. Koharu set up her futon on one side of the hut, while Miroku set his next to Sango's. Kohaku went into another room to set up his; the main room was getting too crowded.

After about a half an hour, Miroku noticed that Sango was still wide awake. He carefully rolled over and peered at her face, "Sango-chan...what is wrong? You've been acting strange since Koharu showed up...does it upset you that she's here?"

Sango sighed and looked into his eyes, "Yes...but I haven;t the slightest clue why. I am not concerned that you will cast me aside, nor that she wants to take you away, or anything like that...I just...feel jealous for no reason...and I don't like it...I apologize for being so difficult today Miroku..."

Miroku smiled at her gently and wrapped an arm around her middle and carefully pulled her to him, so that she was resting against him. He tightened the embrace and whispered to her softly, "Only you Sango-chan...you may subconsciously know that...but part of you still feels threatened by the perverted monk I made myself out to be...but just so you can hear it from me..." he touched her face and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before continuing, "Only you could complete me as you have...I have no reason to search for another, nor the desire, Sango-chan...I love you too much..." And just to add his own personal touch to the message, he hand randomly made it's way to her bottom, and gave it a healthy squeeze.

Sango swiftly hit him as hard as she could, knocking him out. She glared at his unconscious face for a moment before speaking, "You are damn lucky we're getting married monk...or I'd kill you..." But even as she said it, she snuggled up closer to his form, seeking is warmth. She wrapped an arm around his middle and gave the now 'sleeping' man a small kiss on the nose.

"Sweet dreams Miroku..." She sighed and thought of what was to come. _Perhaps I'm just overreacting...maybe I'll even invite Koharu to the wedding...she'd like to come...and I would like to have her...she really is sweet...but why am I feeling so...horrible towards her? At times I almost want to rip her eyes out...and then my better side pipes up and I feel horrible for thinking those awful thoughts...What am I going to do? She's done nothing wrong, and yet...dare I say it...I think I hate her..._

"But why?" she whispered aloud. Soon, she too closed her eyes, and eventually drifted off into a dreamless, rather restless, sleep.

Unbeknownst to everyone; a figure rose under the shield of darkness from her place on the ground. She silkily made her way over to the couple laying together in what would have been peacefulness had Sango's sleep not been so troubled. She sat gracefully by Miroku's side and stroked his hair, getting a good look at his sleeping face.

"My, my...your fiancé has grown quite jealous of this mortal body, hasn't she? This one is glad to see that her little spell is working so beautifully...you, however, like your male friends, seem not to be so well effected by it...why is that? Could there have been something that this one has overlooked about you all? This one thinks not, but then, this one cannot be sure, can this one?" Koharu's eyes were now shining an icy blue instead of their normal chocolate brown as Lady Oyu spoke through her. She reached into her kimono and pulled out a small vial with crystal-like liquid in it, and turned Miroku's head so that she could easily pour it into his mouth.

"Not that it matters much with the other idiots, but for this particular disaster to fully manifest, you need to be less...loving towards your bitch and more so towards this mortal...so, this little potion will force you to have eyes for only her once you awaken...do not take it the wrong way, for this one knows how precious love can seem, but as this one learned thousands of years ago...love is dead, useless, and nothing. This one can love no more...though this one has tried, and so, before this one kills you and all of your friends for your interference in a future you have yet to discover, this one will drive you all apart and make you see the truth behind the lies of love...make you understand why such a weak force must be purged from the world...and why it must be this one who rules over it all..." she purred into his ear softly as she began to pour the potion down his throat.

Miroku shuddered, feeling a strange sensation of cold and warmth at once, but did not awake . Koharu's possessed body stood and moved back away from him as he began to glow a brilliant shade of purple before settling back to normal. She watched as he subconsciously tightened his hold on Sango, and beamed evilly to herself.

"Spend your last hours with the one you love in peace...come morning, when you see this mortal's body, you will forget how much you care for that bitch..." she said. With that, Koharu's body froze for a second as she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were once more their normal chocolate brown.

Lady Oyu stretched as she made her third trip out of bed in the past two weeks. She was thrilled to be able to do more without being fatigued, or even incapacitated. She smiled and twirled about happily, also quite pleased with her mental excursion into the young Koharu's mind to administer the potion to Miroku. She had been quite surprised that he had been so in control of his emotions towards only his fiancé, that she had found that it posed a potential complication. However, it no longer would. She danced around the room gracefully for a few happy moments before setting out towards the kitchen area, intent on magically whipping something up for Kotaro and herself.

Though she had discovered early on in their relationship that she would never be able to fully love him, she needed him desperately for her plans, and was more than willing to share a bed and a thrown to one as handsome and devoted as he. Kotaro fit in the picture too nicely for her to throw him out. He was the one who had unconsciously freed her from her prison, the one who had access to all the dark spells that even she knew not of at the time, (courtesy of a magically fascinated family,) and he was so easy to manipulate with words and actions of affection. He had been starved of it so much throughout his entire life, so when she gave it so willingly, he drank it up as though he were dying of thirst.

But Lady Oyu did not mind that his love for her was genuine while she only used him; she was too far gone from the beautiful, loving angel that she had once been for any trace of guilt or sadness. She had, upon reading a book of spells that had belonged to Kotaro's father, found an even greater use for him, and if he survived it...she would be even more willing than ever to share her future thrown with him.

"Kotaro? Love? Where have you gotten to now? This one is going to make breakfast..." she called as she reached the kitchen. She found a modern plate of eggs, bacon, and toast waiting for her, and sighed to herself. He had gone to the future and made her a more modern breakfast than simple soba...it really was sweet of him, but Oyu couldn't help but only notice that he was not around during one of the times she actually felt like having some sort of company. When she made her way over to the plate, she saw a note folded beneath it.

"_Dearest Lady Oyu, _

_I have gone to investigate something I discovered in one of my father's journals; it is of no importance to your plans, only something trivial that I found interesting. Please forgive my absence..._

_Yours alone,_

_Kotaro_"

Lady Oyu tapped the letter to her chin, pondering what could have gotten his attention other than herself, but ended up letting it drop. She would ask him when he returned. For now, she would eat her breakfast in peace, and keep watch over her group of soon-to-be tormented enemies. She took a small bite of her eggs and grinned.

"This one is going to have so much fun..."

Kotaro appeared in the ruined demon slayer village as though from thin air. He purposely made his way toward the hut where he knew the sleeping group to be in. Once there, he was relieved to find Koharu, the girl that Lady Oyu had used the potion on, (a variation of the potion given to Miroku,) sleeping along with the others. He sighed to himself.

"Lady Oyu...I am sorry to go against you like this my love, but you now go too far...your obsession will eventually kill you...do you not realize it?" he paused, searching his own mind for the precise reason for doing what he was about to do, "I hold no grudge to these people who only rose against us to protect their children...but I hold all loyalty to you...and so I make this compromise..." he whispered, placing a small vial of clear looking potion near Miroku and Sango's sleeping forms.

"It is the antidote...when you finally realize that he is not normal, no matter how long it takes...you will eventually give it to him, or it will get in him one way or another...I bewitched it to be so...but against my beloved's magic, it may be a long, troubling time before it restores him to normal..."

He turned to leave, but found that he could not get past the front door without unshed tears begging to be shed. He took out a small object from his kimono and placed it gently on a shelf that had yet to be sorted through. He turned back to Sango and Miroku's sleeping forms, and gave a small, polite bow.

"...I am sorry..." he spoke honestly, now revealing his true reasons for assisting this particular couple in peril, and his words directed toward Miroku, "...for in the future...in _my_ time...taking your wife's life...and that of your unborn child as well...nothing else in my life...has ever haunted me so much..." And with that, Kotaro left, finally having said something that he had always wanted to say since the deed had been done, left the hut.

He had never told his beloved of his shamed emotions towards this...sneak attack...this_ murder_ to weaken the group that opposed them. It was the first evil he had done that he had ever regretted, and he knew that he would regret it until the day he died.

_It wasn't a battle of two warriors on the battlefield; it was a woman, alone at home, eight months pregnant with her first child and very vulnerable, and it was an order given that was meant to shake the very loving foundations of the group she was allied with. And it had. I'll never forget the look on that poor man's face when he arrived home from the grocery store, to find his wife dead on their couch. I deserve **no **forgiveness..._

In the early morning sunlight, something small glittered on that dirty old shelf in the hut. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered to be a glass necklace in the shape of a boomerang, with glass beads and a grain of rice, on which the name, 'Sango,' was written.

**Me-** Well? How do you like _that_ plot twist? I hinted that Kotaro's and Lady Oyu's love wasn't as solid as it seemed...and now, the truth is out!

**Sango-** He killed me...and I was pregnant! Wait...how does that work? This happened in the future...so...we don't end up living in our time?

**Me-** (smiles) If you and the reviewers want, I have two polls...one of which will answer that question...Poll #1, do you want a whole chapter dedicated to the history of Kotaro and Lady Oyu's past? It will explain a bit about Kotaro's past, (since you know Oyu's,) and from there how they met and a short history of what brought all this around...it might answer questions that I have surfaced in you all...

**Sango-** And poll #2?

**Me-** Poll #2 is this...'Do the reviewers want one whole chapter dedicated to the Kanna and Kohaku coupling?' Since they are not a main couple, I haven't added them to the usual line-up, but if you all want to hear some fluff involving them at some point, (when the story allows,) tell me!

**Miroku-** (poofs into author's note) So, here's the whole deal...Hekele's contest is still up and running, (reviewers with incorrect answers may try again...) she is still writing her _Tokyo Mew Mew _fic whether you like it or not, so just tell her whether or not to post it online, tell her whether the bad guys should get a special chapter, and tell her whether the budding couple of Kanna and Kohaku should also get a special chapter or not...we know that's a lot to ask of you...but...please...do it...

**Me-** Well, that's it...the next chapter will be a HUGE plot breaking chapter! Everything that has been stirring up in the past four chapters is about to begin to blow up, and show their ugly heads! And, not to mention...major trouble!

**Sango and Miroku-** Review to this chapter PLEASE! Hekele was very stumped for most of the time! VERY VERY STUMPED! REVIEWS AND ANSWERS TO HER ABOVE QUESTIONS AND POLLS WILL MAKE THE REST OF THE STORY EASIER ON HER!


	10. Fevers Dancing and Upsetting Encounters

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hiya! I went on vacation! And yes, that is why you didn't get this chappie sooner! But ta da! Here it is now!

This is going to be super long, super involved, and super mind-boggling...well, I don't know about the mind-boggling part...but it'll be something else!

Lol...I only got a few comments on my whole ending with Kotaro...I so was sure that it would get you all thinking and wondering about him and the role he would play in the story...and then I only got a few comments that even mentioned him...I felt so bad...I mean, it wasn't the fact that I didn't get many reviews that bothers me, but the fact that I made this huge stink about him and Oyu being the huge bad guys in this story and then threw that curve ball in there for you to think about and not get much feedback on your thoughts about it that did me in...I spent half of my vacation wondering if you all just thought it was bad or something...

Well, for future reference, when you review, tell me about one or two parts that you guys liked, made you think, or you thought STUNK! I don't want all nice reviews, but I don't want ones that bash me either. I am very open to _constructive_ critisizim and your opinions! One review that I did get that made me happy, was one where the reviewer suggested that I made more chapters focusing around Inuyasha and Kagome.

Now, while this reviewer's opinion is very respected, I will not take the suggestion, mostly because it doesn't fit into my story, and would make it too complicated for me to write. However, I thank this person _very _much for their opinion, and had I not already known where this story was going, I probably _would_ have used their idea.

Ok...no one tried out my contest at all this time, so, I am going to go back into my reviews and pick out the two people that even bothered to try, and write them one song fic each.

**XxYourxDeathxWishxX** and **kimonoprincess**; please tell me what anime and couple to use in the song fic, and I will use them, but you can only pick one couple, OR one person, if you want...(hey, I'm game for a challenge, and I haven't written a one-shot about only one person before...) These are the animes you can choose from: _Inuyasha_; _Rurouni Kenshin_; _Tokyo Mew Mew_; _Shaman King_; _Wolf's Rain_; _One Piece_; _Digimon, _(season one or two only please;) or _Pokemon_.

**Here is the correct answer to my contest; which Kachie pointed out to me:**

The character with the incorrect dialogue was: Lady Oyu

What she said:_"Kotaro? Have you been back through the portal as I have requested?"_

What I did wrong: Lady Oyu never says: I, me, or my. She refers to herself as 'this one.'

Ok, well, whatever. I posted the _Tokyo Mew Mew_ fic. It's called: Fire and Ice. Read it if you want, but be warned, up my first three chapters; I'll have to go back and fix them sometime...

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Hekele, Kachie, Oyu, Kotaro, and my ideas. So there! Oh, and this chapter is rated **_M_** for my bad mouth when Inuyasha really pisses me off later on...and then for some unknown person's bad mouth even later on...just so everyone is warned...

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**Fevers, Dancing, and Upsetting Encounters**

Ms. Higurashi stared at Inuyasha and Shippo as they ran in circles around her house and shook her head. Shippo had accused Inuyasha of eating all of his candy with absolute conviction, and then had found it all under the couch in a plastic bag; where he had hidden it from Kohaku, Kanna, and Rin. Now Inuyasha was bent on making Shippo suffer by bonking him on the head with Grandpa's rolled up newspaper until he got a concussion.

"I'm warning you two...if you break anything, I'll have to kick you back through the well, and sick the girls on you after they wake up..." she threatened. However, the two running boys didn't get a chance to head her warning, because a rather disgruntled yell was heard at almost the same moment Ms. H. stopped speaking.

"INUYAHSA! SHUT UP!" The house became still and Ms. Higurashi only rolled her eyes at Inuyasha and Shippo, who had frozen in mid step with complete and utter fear written all over their faces.

"I think Kachie's up!" Koga said happily, walking into the livingroom with a Pop-Tart in his mouth. Shippo recovered from his shock and looked at both Koga and Inuyasha with question.

"So, I came here to grab my candy, but what are you two here for?" he asked.

Koga's expression darkened, "Nothing in Heaven or Hell will make me tell you the answer to that question..."

Inuyasha got the same annoyed look in his eyes, "Ditto that for me..."

Ms. Higurashi just smiled at the kit, "I'm giving them dancing lessons today so they won't trip over themselves and the girls at Sango and Miroku's wedding, but don't tell anyone...it's a surprise!" Inuyasha and Koga looked at Ms. Higurashi with wide eyes and gaping mouths as though she had just betrayed them. She only smiled at them and leaned close to Shippo's ear like she was about to tell him a secret.

"If you keep our surprise a secret from the girls...even Hekele...there's a bag of Hershey's Kisses in it for you..." she said. Shippo instantly grinned and saluted the woman.

"I promise I won't tell a soul...at all! Not even Kanna, Kagura, or Kohaku!" he swore, shaking her hand as if to make the deal final. Ms. Higurashi grinned as he scampered off with his bag of candy out the door and towards the well.

"Sometimes...you need to think outside the box boys...if I didn't tell him and make him promise to keep it a secret, then he'd have been around here all day trying to spy on you and then, when he found out, he would have most definitely told everyone...whether they already knew or not..." she explained, trying to make them understand the reason for her treason against them. Koga nodded absently, glaring at the door where the kit had exited, still not pleased that he knew, and Inuyasha merely 'Feh'd' at her answer.

Ms. Higurashi sighed and rolled her eyes at the two stubborn boys as a rather annoyed Kachie staggered her way down the stairs tiredly. Her hair was sticking up everywhere, one of her pajama sleeves was rolled up, one pant leg was scrunched up as well, and to complete the picture, she had on only one sock. In short, she looked like she had just come out of the dryer.

Inuyasha snickered while Koga gave her a small amused smile, "Rough night Kachie?" Kachie only looked at him absently before walking towards the couch and crashing on it face first.

"Mrf pht mndphays..." she mumbled into the couch. Koga blinked a few times before lightly rubbing her back.

"We can't understand you when you're eating the cushions..." he cooed. Kachie lifted her head to look at him.

"I hate Mondays..."

Koga smiled at her, amused further, "It's Wednesday love."

"Same difference..."

Ms. Higurashi looked at the two fondly before speaking, "Maybe you'll feel more awake after breakfast..." Kachie looked at her for a moment before sitting up a bit.

"Whatever...still feels like a Monday to me..."

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"Hekele...wake up Hekele...Kachie's already up...and I can't take my nice hot shower until you get up and moving too! Come on!" Kagome pleaded, trying to wake her friend up. Hekele, however, wouldn't budge.

Kagome climbed onto the bed and shook her friend roughly, trying to wake her up. Hekele moaned a bit in her sleep, but still didn't wake up. Annoyed, Kagome pinched her nose shut and covered her mouth. After a few seconds, Hekele made a noise and woke up, trying to get some air. Kagome smirked triumphantly and let her friend go.

"Good morning! Sleep well?" she chirped, trying to annoy Hekele. It worked.

"Leave me alone Kags...my head hurts...five more minutes...please?" the girl pleaded. Kagome shook her head.

"Nope! Get up! We have school for two more days after today, and then we can sleep in all we want!"

Hekele scowled, rubbing her throbbing head, "Until Monday..." Kagome offered a sympathetic smile.

"True...but it's better than nothing! So get a move on! Come on...the yearly talent show has sign-ups today...you know you want to sign-up...oh forget the sweet talk, GET YER BUTT UP!" she ordered, pulling the blankets off of Hekele's curled up form. Hekele began to shiver violently when she did this, and it alarmed Kagome.

"Hekele? Are you feeling ok?" she asked, suddenly regretting her rudeness, and put a hand to Hekele's forehead. She was sweaty...and burning up...

"Wait here, I'm gonna go get Mom..." she said, rushing out the door and down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she didn't even notice that Inuyasha and Koga were there...or that Kachie seemed to be suffocating herself on the couch...

"Mom...Hekele's upstairs in bed...she's burning up..." she relayed, very concerned. Ms. Higurashi sprung into action and swept up the stairs to the bathroom, grabbing the thermometer and rushing into Hekele's and Kagome's room. Inuyasha, Koga, Kagome, and Kachie were already there.

She slipped the thermometer into Hekele's mouth and felt her head for herself, and bit her lip when she felt the warmth radiating from it.

"Oh dear..." she said as she took the thermometer out of the girl's mouth, "Your temperature is about 103 degrees...I don't think that you'll be going to school today..." Hekele gave her a weak smile.

"Darn...and I wanted to watch Kachie blow up the school in chem. today..." she said. Kachie grumbled.

"I am NOT going to blow up the school in chem today! We're using basic acids and bases, even _I_ couldn't blow it..." she groused. Hekele chuckled tiredly, along with Kagome, Inuyasha, and Koga. Ms. Higurashi just frowned.

"I'll bring you up some breakfast in a few minutes...now everyone shoo! We don't want you to catch whatever she's got...out, out!" she chided the group, ushering them through the door. She offered Hekele a small smile of reassurance and shut the door behind her.

As she and the group walked downstairs, Kagome was the first to speak up, "...It's because of her insomnia isn't it? She hasn't slept for more than an hour for the past...I don't know how long..." Ms. Higurashi sighed to herself and nodded.

"Yes...her lack of sleep has weakened her immune system...I think she's only got the flu, but still...I'm going to have to keep an eye on her temperature...I wish whatever is keeping her up at night and worrying her so would just stop..." she confessed.

Koga looked at her curiously as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "You can get sick from lack of sleep?"

Ms. Higurashi nodded, "And it's not only that...she's been having nightmares when she _does_ allow herself to sleep...and according to what Sesshoumaru told me almost a week ago when I asked him to talk to her, they just keep getting worse and worse as time goes by...If a person is mentally or emotionally unstable, which is Hekele's current problem, his or her body reacts negatively to it...and gets sick..."

Everyone sighed collectively as they all sat in the livingroom, pondering what to do. Suddenly, Souta ran into the room and stared at the group as he began rushing around collecting his things, "What the heck is going on? No one woke me up! School starts in ten minutes! We gotta move, move, move! Ahhhh! I'm gonna be late!" This blasted Kagome and Kachie out of their thoughts as they too began screeching and running about the house. Poor Kagome had to sacrifice her morning shower and everything...

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Miroku sighed as he rubbed his cheek for the tenth time that morning. Sango was furious with him...again...She had gone back to the demon slayer village with Kohaku, who was just as pissed with him.

Koharu, who was sitting next to him, smiled softly and put her head on his shoulder, "Houshi-sama...what's the matter? You seem upset..." Miroku sighed and shrugged.

"Sango is upset once more...but I can't understand why..." he replied. Koharu frowned and snuggled up close to him.

"Why do you care what she thinks? You love me right?" she asked. Miroku sighed and nuzzled her a bit.

"Of course I do Koharu...but something just feels...wrong when she's mad at me..." he said. Koharu sighed, but gave him a light kiss on the lips anyway.

"Oh well, I love you, and you love me...so nothing else matters..." she stated firmly. Miroku smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Of course love..."

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Rin slapped her forehead and shook her head at the sight of Miroku and Koharu. She quietly poked her head back below the window and snuck back over to Shippo.

"You're right Shippo-san...this is too weird...for as long as Rin has known Miroku-san, he has been in love with Sango-san...so what happened? They went away for a week and now she acts like she hates him...and he looks like he's in love with that other lady..." she said. Shippo bit his lip and sighed.

"That's Koharu...before he met Sango, she said she'd bear his child, but she was too young for him. Then we all met up with her after he started to like Sango...and she got really jealous...but then after we all left, we figured we'd never see her again...and then Miroku and Sango started to fall more in love and stuff...and then they got engaged...and they were happy...so what the heck happened and when did she reappear?" he half explained, half questioned. Rin shrugged.

"Maybe Rin and Shippo-san should asked Kagura-san and Kanna-san...they were there too..." she suggested. Shippo nodded.

"Let's tell Sesshoumaru and Kaede too...maybe they can help..." he said. It was Rin's turn to nod as the two set out hurriedly towards the other adults, who, unbeknownst to them, were already disgussing the same thing.

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"I'm telling you, something is up with that damn monk! We all woke up the next morning and he seemed to have completely fallen in love with that Koharu chick, and for some insane reason, didn't seem to register Sango's presence until she woke up a few minutes later...and even then, he didn't stop acting like a hormone crazed idiot!" Kagura complained to Kaede. Kaede had seen Miroku's...Miroku-like behavior, and had been rather confused. It was no secret how much Miroku loved Sango, and so for him to act so...like himself, was rather disturbing.

"I see...ye are positive that he had shown no signs of this the previous night?" she asked. Kanna, who was also in the room, nodded.

"We're positive; he actually had been rather _uncomfortable _around her most of the time...but Sango, who in my opinion was acting more jealous than she usually would...despite Miroku's apparent disinterest in Koharu, was the one to suggest that she stay the night. It was odd though...Miroku specifically mentioned that Sango was his fiancé...and then he turns around and...well...kisses Koharu in the morning...right in front of Sango. I swear, I've never seen Kohaku so mad...or Sango so heartbroken..." she confided.

At the mention of Miroku kissing Koharu, Kaede shot her line of vision towards Kanna and Kagura, holding them sternly in her gaze, "He kissed this girl? Right in front of Kohaku...and even more unforgivable, Sango herself? This does not seem natural...even for Miroku's lecherous past. He has always shown devotion for and interest in our dear Sango...how could one night, while resting next to the woman he had proposed to, change everything he felt?" Kagura shrugged, just as confused.

"He also didn't seem to know that whatever he was doing was wrong. He acted like it was all natural; as if he had never been engaged to Sango, but Koharu instead. Even she's acting differently after that incident...When she heard that Sango and Miroku were together, she looked a bit disappointed, but was respectful and in good spirits. Now she acts as though Sango doesn't matter...the little home-wrecker acts like a love-sick puppy..." she said, a bit spitefully. Kagura and Sango had come to be good friends, and the fact that Koharu was ruining her friend's relationship was pissing her off quite a bit.

Kanna sighed, "I don't get any of it. Miroku and Sango passed Naraku's test and everything. He only wanted her, even though he had other women who, quite literally, wanted him. He did his best to find her, and when he heard her voice, took off after her like a bat out of hell to try and save her, and his determination and words of love did just that...I hate to say that Naraku ever did anything brilliant, but those tests _were _ingeniously able to test love...and those two passed just like everyone else...so...I don't understand..." Kaede listened to her and nodded to herself.

" I hate to agree with ye, but I do...what happened the rest of the week ye were all there?" the old priestess asked. Kagura obliged.

"It just went downhill from there...Miroku acted all lovey-dovey with Koharu, Koharu only encouraged this with her responses, poor Sango was way beyond fed up, and I was sure that Kohaku was about to bash his head in. I swear, he and Miroku got into so many arguments, with Miroku playing innocent a dumb the entire time. Like I said before, he didn't seem to think what he was doing was wrong," she explained. Kanna nodded.

"It's frustrating...I can only imagine what Sango's going through..." she said sadly.

Kaede sighed and rubbed her temples, "None of this makes sense...but I do have a theory...keep an eye on this Koharu...whether she's with Miroku or not...ye must not be seen either...if she does anything out of the ordinary...ye must inform me right away...but never lose sight of her..."

Kanna and Kagura nodded, "Deal."

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Shippo and Rin listened in on what the adults and Kanna were saying to one another with interest. So, Miroku had been acting this way for a while now had he?

"Rin, this is bad...if this keeps up, Sango and Miroku will never get married, and that means that one of them, or both of them, will go away..." Shippo said, very concerned. Rin nodded.

"Rin knows Shippo-san; we have to help them keep an eye on Koharu-san. Maybe we can find something out that Kagura-san and Kanna-san miss..." she said. Shippo took a deep breath and put on a determined face.

"I'm gonna go in the future and tell Inuyasha and Koga; they need to know that something's up...then, we'll start spying."

Rin bit her lip, "Rin will tell Sesshoumaru-sama...Rin thinks he is taking a walk right now; Sesshoumaru-sama seems troubled lately..."

Shippo nodded, but was wearing a grim face, "...I think everyone's been troubled lately...Rin...something bad's happening..."

Rin sighed as she stood up to look for Sesshoumaru, "Rin knows Shippo-san, Rin know's this very well..."

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"Inuyasha, I know you're the male here, but since you're the one learning and I'm the one teaching, I think it'd be better if I led..." Ms. Higurashi said, after the tenth failed attempt to get Inuyasha to waltz properly. Inuyasha scowled.

"Why do I have to learn this stupid dance anyway! It's not like I'll ever use it..." he growled. Ms. Higurashi, quite in good spirits despite the ill Hekele upstairs, only smiled.

"Well, you'll need it if you want to dance with Kagome at the reception...I believe there is a tradition in which the wedding party gets the second dance...while the bride and groom get the first of course..._and_ if you ever decide to actually marry my daughter, you'll need it on your wedding day as well..." she said, successfully catching the boy off guard, and causing him to stumble and nearly fall over. Koga started laughing.

"Way to go mutt; falter at the mention of marriage in front of the girl's mother..." he stated pointedly. Inuyasha growled, but Ms. Higurashi was one evil step ahead.

"Koga? Since you seem so confident; when can I expect you to ask Kachie? I mean, you seem more forward and persistent...so what, my darling, _usually _wolf demon, is stopping you from asking her?" she asked. Inuyasha snickered when Koga paled considerably.

"I...er...we're not...um..." he said, trying to form a good excuse. Ms. Higurashi gave her first evil smirk, mimicking any demon beautifully.

"That's what I thought, so don't start anything."

Inuyasha gave her an approving look, "Nice..."

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"Uuuggggghh! I asked you to _please _read me the ingredients in order...that way, I can mix the chemicals _properly_...ok?" Kachie said for the third time to her lab partner. The boy stuttered and blushed a bit.

"Uhh, yeah, sorry. We have chlorine, water, baking soda, vinegar, bleach, rubbing alcohol, and-"

Kachie looked at him oddly before speaking, "Bleach and rubbing alcohol? Are you sure Tsukasa?" The boy, now known as Tsukasa, looked at the book for a brief second and nodded. Trusting him, Kachie added the ingredients.

"Ok...umm...now you turn on the burner..." he said. Kachie obeyed and turned the burner on. She watched the experiment closely, watching for a reaction besides foam and bubbling. Tsukasa took another look at the book and his eyes got wide. He had forgotten to tell Kachie to add the sulfuric acid after the rubbing alcohol...

"Umm" he began, a bit nervously, "Now you add the sulfuric acid...and that should do it..." Kachie nodded absently and did as she was told. Tsukasa bit his lip and waited for the experiment to react. He didn't have long to wait...

A large bang was heard throughout the school as Kachie's and Tsukasa's experiment exploded into a huge mess of glass and acidic chemicals. The whole classroom ducked and screamed in fear. Once the smoke from the explosion cleared, both Tsukasa and Kachie were standing there in a shocked stupor, their faces completely covered in smoke residue.

The teacher, though quite frightened herself, calmly walked over to the two students, careful not to step on anything lethal, "Which one of you mixed the chemicals?"

Tsukasa hurriedly pointed at Kachie, who was about to say that Tsukasa had read her the directions when the teacher grabbed her ear and began dragging her out of the classroom, "You are a danger to society young lady! What did I tell you about reading the directions?"

Kachie found her voice and protested, "But Tsukasa-"

"You've got detention tonight, you won't be going home until five o'clock missy! You're lucky I don't have you pay for the damaged materials..."

"But!"

"No buts! Or I'll call your mother...I'll let you explain your irresponsible offense when you get home! Now get to the detention hall until my class is over! Then you're free until school's out!" the teacher barked. Kachie made her way into the room but turned around to say something.

"Does this mean I failed?" Her answer was a shut door in the face.

"I guess I did...damn it..."

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"So...you say that Miroku has been acting strangely? I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned with Rin...he's a very strange person..." Sesshoumaru said nonchalantly. Rin shook her head.

"No, he's acting weirder than usual...he's with a girl named Koharu-san and all but left Sango-san...he doesn't pay attention to her, and I heard Kanna-san tell Kaede-sama that he kissed her one morning while they were gone...it's like he doesn't love Sango-san anymore..." she explained. Sesshoumaru whipped his head around to stare at the girl.

"You say he left Sango? And is with another woman...and he _kissed_ her?" he repeated, making sure he had not been hearing things. Rin shook her head slightly.

"Rin said he all but left Sango-san...he never said it was over, but...well...you know...She's really hurt, and Kohaku-san is really mad...they left to go back to the village. Miroku-sama doesn't seem to act like what he was doing was wrong...and Kagura-san and Kanna-san said that it literally happened overnight...he went to sleep next to Sango-san, and then he woke up and didn't love her anymore..." she corrected...and added.

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brows in thought, "This is most unusual...and very...wrong...in every sense of the word...even that damn pervert isn't _that _dishonorable and stupid...something is amiss..." Rin nodded.

"Kaede-sama said that something was wrong too...she thinks she knows what's happening, and has asked Kanna-san and Kagura-san to watch Koharu-san closely for any odd behavior..." she mentioned. Sesshoumaru gave a brief nod of approval.

"That seems most wise...I will speak to Miroku...I need to hear what he has to say for himself...this is too sporadic..."

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Hekele slowly cracked open her eyes as she awoke from her nap...which had lasted for a good majority of the morning. It was about half-past noon, and she had slept for four and a half hours. She felt great.

"Wonder why I slept for so long...I feel so much better though...so I'm not complaining..." she said to herself sleepily. She peeled the covers off and proceeded to sit up and stretch happily. She stood up, but held onto the night stand for support, as she felt a bit light headed. After making sure that she wasn't going to fall over, she steadily dressed in some comfortable, but presentable, attire and carefully made her way downstairs.

On her way down, she heard Shippo's distinct voice talking to someone. Thinking he was tattling on Inuyasha for something, she didn't pay it any mind until she reached the bottom of the stairs, and saw not only Shippo, but Inuyasha and Koga as well.

"...What're you guys doin' here?" she asked, yawning. Everyone looked up, seeing her for the first time, and Ms. Higurashi stood from the couch hastily to check on the girl.

"Hekele dear...are you feeling any better?" she asked, putting her hand to the girl's forehead. Finding it a bit cooler, the woman smiled slightly in relief. Hekele smiled as well.

"I'm feeling much better...and I actually slept too..." she said happily. Ms. Higurashi shook her head.

"About that...I hope you don't mind that I put a couple sleeping pills in you breakfast...but you needed rest dear..." she apologized. Hekele shrugged.

"It worked didn't it? And I feel better than I have all week...minus my spinning head and fever that is..." she consented. Shippo growled from the livingroom.

"Guys! I'm trying to tell you something important! Miroku-" Inuyasha cut him off.

"We heard you the first time Shippo."

Koga glared at Inuyasha, "You know, the kit has a point; this is important! Miroku's actions aren't normal...even before he told Sango he cared about her, he always acted as though he were in love with her...minus the 'will you bear my child,' and groping other women, of course..."

Hekele looked at the group oddly as Ms. Higurashi helped her into the livingroom and onto the couch next to Koga, "What's that hentai up to now? I swear...did he grope one of the villagers or something?"

Shippo shook his head sadly, "He fell in love with another woman named Koharu and doesn't like Sango anymore. He never said anything, but he acts that way...and he acts like he doesn't realize what he's doing is wrong...he even kissed her...right in front of Sango..."

Inuyasha snapped his head back towards Shippo, "He _kissed_ Koharu?" Shippo nodded.

Hekele's hand was covering her mouth slightly in her own shock, "How...could he do that to her? Poor Sango..." Ms. Higurashi herself was deep in thought.

"...I don't think...this is right...something's wrong here..." she stated questioningly, not sure how to vocalize her half formed suspicion. Koga nodded, still stunned himself.

"The question is...what caused this oddity...and how do we stop it?"

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"Sango? Are you in here?" Kohaku asked as he quietly walked into one of the huts. There, sitting in a small corner and curled into a ball, in all her depressed glory, was his elder sister Sango. Her only reply to the younger demon was the raising of her sad head.

"Sango...you should eat something...It's not good for you to go around for a few days and forsake all food..." he said gently, approaching his sister. Sango buried her head back into her knees.

"I'm not hungry Kohaku...do not worry about me..." she said sadly. Kohaku frowned.

"Sango...forget him for now...you still need to take care of yourself...that jerk doesn't deserve your sorrow..." he stated venomously as he sat at her side and wrapped protective arms around his big sister. Sango only shed more tears.

"What's wrong with me Kohaku? What did I do to turn him away from me like this?_ 'Only you could complete me as you have...I have no reason to search for another, nor the desire...'_ That's what he said to me that night when we fell asleep! Then he told me how much he loved me and then...the next morning..." she broke into heavy, quaking sobs that only made Kohaku hold her tighter. He had to let her get it out...

"He kissed her Kohaku! Kissed _her_! At first I just tried to pass it off as though he were just playing a really bad joke...I didn't want to believe...I _couldn't_ believe he meant it...But he's acted as though I don't even exist ever since...and...I can't do this..." she cried. Kohaku bit his lip and continued to hold her.

"Aneue...you didn't do anything wrong...I don't know what's gotten into _him_...but I do know that it has nothing to do with you being in the wrong..." Kohaku said honestly. Sango sighed sadly.

"I hope you're right Kohaku...I...I still love him...I can't _not_ love him...I just wish I knew what to do..." she confessed. Kohaku bit his lip once more in thought.

"I...don't know how I can help Sango...all I can ask is if you're sure you want to try to work things out?" he questioned, needing to be sure.

Sango nodded, "Yes...I need to try once more to make things work...I love him too much not to..."

Kohaku sighed, "...Then I will try to help...I'll do anything I can..." Sango wrapped her arms around her little brother gratefully.

"...Thank you Kohaku...I need the support..."

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Kanna stared at Koharu intently from her hiding place behind one of the villager's huts. The human girl, not five years older than what Kanna's body and personality suggested, was for once without the monk. Miroku had been drawn away by Sesshoumaru, and Kanna was glad for it...it gave Kagura and herself a good chance to observe Koharu under different circumstances...maybe she would give them something to work with...

"Kanna...do you see what I see?" Kagura hissed quietly. Kanna followed her line of vision past Koharu into the bushes beyond, and saw what appeared to be a bushy fox tail, and a mop of black hair.

"Apparently...Shippo and Rin are on their own mission to help eradicate this oddity..." she said softly. Kagura stared at her.

"Don't do that..." she said sternly.

Kanna looked at her strangely, "Don't do...what?"

Kagura gave her an apathetic look, "Talk like Sesshoumaru..."

"Ah...hey...what's that?" Kanna asked, pointing at something on the ground that had just fallen from Koharu's kimono sash. Koharu appeared not to notice it missing, however, and kept on walking. When she rounded a corner, Kanna turned to Kagura.

"You keep following her...I'm gonna find out what that thing is!" she said, and before Kagura could protest, Kanna was out of her hiding spot and rushing towards the object, as was Rin.

Kanna, having slightly longer legs, got there first and peered down at the thing carefully. She cocked her head in confusion as Rin made it to her side, "...Rin...what is it?"

Rin looked at it with confusion as well, "...It looks like a crystal Kanna-chan...but...why would Koharu-san have a crystal? And a rather large crystal at that?"

A warning bell in Kanna's head went off, "Wait a minute...didn't Inuyasha say that the creature that worked for the fallen looked like a crystal and was born from one?" Rin's eyes widened and the girl nodded slowly.

"We should show it to Inuyasha and ask him if it looks the same as the one he saw..." she said, getting ready to pick it up. Kanna swatted her hand away swiftly, staring at the crystal cautiously.

"If it _is_ that same type of crystal, we shouldn't touch it...for all we know, Koharu may have dropped it on purpose..." she said as she used her kimono sleeve to pick up the object, and her other to cover it completely. She then looked at Rin once more.

"Keep following Koharu with Shippo and Kagura...I'll take this to Kaede...she'll know what to do..." she stated firmly. Rin nodded, offered the elder girl a mock salute, and swiftly yet silently made her way back to Shippo. Kanna ran to Kaede just as quickly.

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There were three empty bowls of ramen sitting on the coffee table in the livingroom. Koga was still sitting next to Hekele on the couch, and Inuyasha was once again attempting to learn how to waltz with Ms. Higurashi. Hekele herself was playing her new game, (which she had gotten for her birthday from Souta a few weeks back,) 'Kingdom Hearts 2,' and getting her butt kicked by Heartless if I might add...

"Inuyasha dear...I told you...let me lead..." Ms. Higurashi reminded gently, not showing any trace of annoyance. Inuyasha, however, was frustrated beyond belief.

"I'm trying! How do you stop leading!" he complained. Ms. Higurashi rolled her eyes a bit.

"By calming down and letting someone else move their feet first..." she said, still calm and gentle. Inuyasha muttered under his breath about stupid weddings and even 'stupider' dances.

Koga snickered to himself at Inuyasha as he watched Hekele get killed by little minions for the tenth time. "It's no fair! I can't do this! They just keep coming and coming and coming! I need elixirs! I need potions! I need stupid Donald not to die all the stupid time!" she yelled at the television. Koga had to cover his ears to keep them from hurting. He glared at the girl next to him and grudgingly moved over to a chair instead.

"Loud mouth..." he muttered. Hekele glared at him dangerously.

"Shut up wolf boy..." she snarled. The two stared at one another for a few moments before a loud crash brought them from their contest. Inuyasha had just collided with the end table next to Koga, and had caused a glass to fall to its doom. Poor glass...

"Hey...watch it mutt, Kagome might not be too thrilled with you if you accidently kill her mother..." Koga muttered. Once again, he stood up and moved, but this time perched himself on the stairway, which was both out of Hekele's yelling range _and _away from Ms. Higurashi's incompetent dancing student...

"Shut it flea-bag!", yelled the said student. Ms. Higurashi shook her head once more.

"Inuyasha...be nice...Koga, stop starting disagreements...I warned you earlier..." she said, eyeing both of them. Both mumbled, but said nothing more to one another.

Within fifteen minutes, the group was bickering once more, and it all started with: "Die Captain Barbossa! You stupid bastard! You stole my ship!"

Koga rolled his eyes at Hekele, "Cut it out before you make yourself pass out...you're still sick you know..."

Hekele fumed as the bad guy knocked out half her life, "Not too sick to kick his ass..." Koga rubbed his forehead.

_How does Sesshoumaru put up with her?_ he thought idly. He watched as Inuyasha and Ms. Higurashi 'danced' in front of the television, thus annoying Hekele.

"Inuyasha...let her lead! I'm trying to-" Hekele was cut off by the most terrifying noise that any video game fanatic has ever heard. There was a loud, sickening, crunching noise, followed by a painful wail. And then the television screen went screwy.

No one spoke. Inuyasha whimpered a bit, since his foot was currently stuck in Hekele's crushed Playstation 2, but that was all. Everything else was silent as everyone, including Ms. Higurashi, looked between the ruined system on Inuyasha's foot and Hekele's shocked face and twitching hands. Her game was no doubt shattered within the ruins as well...

It took Hekele a moment to find her voice, but by the time she did, Koga was hiding behind the banister of the stairwell and Ms. Higurashi had completely ditched Inuyasha to go hide in the kitchen.

"Inuyasha..." Hekele began, her voice shaking as she continued to twitch uncontrollably, "I am _sooo_ going to **kill** you! That was my favorite game! And my favorite game system! I was so close to beating that god damn mother fucker! Or at least that bad guy! I don't care if I'm still sick, I'm going to beat your ass down!" With that, the still slightly feverish girl jumped up from her spot on the couch and gave chase to the currently crippled boy.

Inuyasha had only a split second to 'eep' before having to run for his life...with the ruined game and system still attached to his aching foot. Hekele was gaining on him quickly, and Inuyasha was as terrified as he had ever been back when he wore that damn rosary. He rounded the corner into the kitchen, just in time to see Ms. Higurashi shut herself swiftly into a closet, and kept running. He made it out the back door, and began running around in the backyard, Hekele still in tow. Inuyasha was happy, however, to note that she was slowing down due to her tired and ill body. He was so busy looking at her, however, that he failed to notice that there was someone rounding the corner in front of him...

Poor Kagome didn't have a prayer. Inuyasha looked ahead just in time to see her appear around the corner...and run smack dab into her. Kagome screamed, never having seen Inuyasha, as she fell to the ground; Inuyasha yelled as he tried to stop himself from falling as well, which resulted in tripping over her discarded book-bag and falling right on top of her. For the second time in the past five minutes, all was silent. Hekele caught up to Inuyasha and started panting, trying to catch her breath.

"Kagome! That stupid, clumsy boyfriend of yours broke my PS2! He stepped on it when Mom tried to give him dancing lessons and he wouldn't let her lead! It's still attached to his god forsaken foot! I have proof damn it!" she yelled, pointing at her ruined system, half of which was all over the yard. Kagome only lay there in complete shock before speaking.

"Inuyasha...can you get off of me now...please?" she asked. Inuyasha, who was laying diagonally over her made a weird noise before rolling off her legs. Once off, he remained motionless.

"Ow...stupid future shit..." he moaned painfully. Hekele growled, yanked her broken system off his foot, and then cradled it as she walked back into the house mournfully.

Kagome took this opportunity to sit up and stare at Inuyasha, "Now...what the hell was all that about?" It was odd, Kagome felt that competitiveness towards Inuyasha as she had the day the two had met the fallen's crystal servant. She even felt...fury? _I'm just mad because he made me fall...but...why doesn't that feel like that's it? Why am I so mad? It was an accident..._

Inuyasha rolled onto his back and stared at her dumbly, "I...accidently stepped on her game what'cha ma-call-it and broke it...while she was playing it..." Kagome felt, to her relief, the fury disappear, and a more appropriate emotion, humor, replace it.

She laughed a bit, and crawled over to him, "I figured that part out on my own...what I _meant _was what's all this about you taking dancing lessons from my mother?" Inuyasha scowled.

"...Stupid sick wench...tattling..." he muttered. Kagome smiled at him softly, her emotions even more at ease.

"Come on...let's go inside...I think it's safe now...She's gotten over her anger stage and into mourning..." she suggested. She stood up, followed by a hesitant Inuyasha.

"Are you sure? She changes mood pretty quickly..." he asked warily. Kagome nodded and grabbed his hand. She pulled him into the house carefully, looking out for Hekele, but found her mother as she entered the kitchen. She was just exiting a closet...

"Wow Mom...Hekele must have been mad if _you _hid on her..." she said, releasing Inuyasha's hand as she moved to sit at the table. Ms. Higurashi laughed.

"He did crush her baby after all...if anyone touched any of my girls I'd probably go on a similar rampage..." she said. Kagome stared at her mother before bursting into laughter.

"Only my mother would associate a PS2 with their child..." she declared. Ms. Higurashi smiled affectionately as Inuyasha joined her daughter at the table.

"Where's Kachie? I didn't see her come in..." she asked after thinking for a moment. Kachie rolled her eyes.

"She got detention...she won't be home until about 5:00...Man, I had to sign both her _and_ Hekele up for the talent show try-outs that are in two weeks..." she said, annoyed.

Ms. Higurashi looked at her, alarmed, "What happened? What did Kachie supposedly do to get detention?" Inuyasha was also looking at Kagome questioningly; he knew roughly what detention was, and he knew that Kachie was usually better behaved than that...and what was a talent show?

Kagome shrugged, "I have no clue...she refused to tell me...but she looked awfully embarrassed...So, what's this I hear about Inuyasha taking dancing lessons from you? And I'm guessing that's why Koga's here too eh? I thought I saw him hiding behind the stairs..."

Ms. Higurashi sighed and shook her head, "Koga picked up waltzing relatively quickly, but Inuyasha can't get past letting me lead so that he can learn..." Inuyasha feh'd and looked away from the woman, embarrassed.

Kagome smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, "...How about I take over teaching you? Maybe it'll be easier..." Inuyasha looked at her hopefully.

"You think it'd help?" he asked. Kagome smiled and nodded, still resting against his shoulder.

"Well...then it's worth a shot..." Inuyasha paused, thinking over something, before making up his mind and continuing with what he was saying, "...There's something I need to talk to you about anyway..." Kagome looked at him curiously.

"What's it about?" she asked. Inuyasha hesitated, but put his arm around her and hugged her lightly.

"Well, two things actually; there's something going on with Miroku...he's acting strangely...but I'll get into that when Kachie gets here too...the other thing...well..." he didn't know what to say...he didn't know how to even approach on the subject of what had happened with the crystal demoness, "...I'll just get to it later...ok?" he tried. Kagome accepted this answer, or rather, lack of one, without question, and only snuggled into his embrace happily.

Then, without warning, a bright flash appeared in front of them, starling both Kagome and Inuyasha so much that Kagome fell off of her chair, dragging Inuyasha down to the ground with her...

Standing there, hovering above the two, was a very satisfied looking Ms. Higurashi...and she had a digital camera with her, "Sorry," she began, "but you two were just too cute like that...you know I can't resist moments like that..."

Kagome blushed and Inuyasha glared, "Feh..."

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"Honestly Lord Sesshoumaru, I don't understand what you mean. Koharu and I are in love, isn't that something to celebrate rather than question?" Miroku asked the rather frustrated demon lord. Sesshoumaru had been trying to question him for the past hour and a half, and hadn't gotten a straight answer out of the lightning demon the entire time.

"You no longer use my title Miroku, _ever_; it only furthers my suspicion that something is amiss here. Now, answer me straight forward; do you love Sango?" he tried. Miroku shook his head.

"No I do not; I love my fair lady Koharu...did you not hear me the first hundred times?" he answered, getting rather annoyed.

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples, "How long have you been in love with this Koharu woman?" Miroku sighed.

"Only for about a week...but I know that she is the one for me...I have decided to ask her to marry me..." he stated passionately. Sesshoumaru nearly choked on the air.

"You fool, do you even remember ever loving Sango...at all?" he tried desperately. Miroku once more shook his head.

"I have never loved another woman, nor have I ever misled one by telling her so..." he said. Sesshoumaru was about ready to pull his hair out in his frustration, but tried to remain in control of himself. Why did he have to stick around this village and be a good guy? Why couldn't things have gone back to normal when Naraku was killed and Sesshoumaru go back to the indifferent ass he had been so accustomed to being?

_Ah yes, I fell for a mortal and made...friends...with her companions, despite how much I despised them. Why have I gone soft?_ _Was it Rin that did this to me?_ He sighed; of course it had been Rin. She was the kindest little girl he had ever met, and he had taken to her innocence. She was his daughter, and no one could tell him otherwise...even if they were brave enough to try.

Snapping out of his revery, he looked at Miroku and sighed, "Leave. But know this, you are making a grave mistake by looking to this _Koharu_ for love. You are leaving behind you a very devoted friend who loves you more than probably any of us understand. You will regret your decision eventually..."

Miroku walked around the demon lord, glaring at him, "I will never."

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Kohaku sighed softly as he tucked his big sister in. She had fallen asleep quite early, probably from all her crying. Kohaku had noticed a distinct lack of energy in his sister ever since this whole charade had begun. She even, now that he was taking a closer look at her, appeared to have paled some, and Kohaku was beginning to worry.

He walked around the hut a bit, straightening up a few things here and there, desperately needing something to do. He walked past a shelf and stopped dead in his tracks. He backtracked a couple of steps and peered at the shelf carefully, and his eyes widened. There, on the untouched shelf, was Sango's name necklace, but it looked...older...

He took it off the shelf and walked back to his sister and frowned, she was wearing her necklace. Confused, he looked once more at the one in his hand; it was scratched slightly, and the grain of rice looked damaged. And the writing on it was rather faded.

Kohaku couldn't understand. Everyone else's necklace had stayed in very good condition...none of them had showed signs of wear and tear...it was too odd. Then, another thought struck Kohaku.

_Sango just got her necklace...there's been no time for wear and tear..._ How could this be? Why were there two necklaces? Sango wouldn't have replaced hers unless she told someone first...but...it made no sense...

Kohaku looked around some more, this time near his sister, and found a second object that was out of place. A vial filled with what appeared to be water. The vial itself was rather intricately designed...it almost didn't belong in the hut. Kohaku looked at it further, and noticed all the detail put into it, and all those small designs...

_This was not made in this era...but it doesn't belong to either Sango or Miroku...and it doesn't smell like either Kanna or Kagura...it's just here...and that makes no sense..._ he thought to himself as he pocketed the vial, making a mental note to show it to Kaede the next time he saw her.

Sango began to stir slightly in her sleep, as if from a terrible dream. Kohaku made his way back to her quickly and tried to wake her up as soon as it grew more violent. After a few moments, he ran to grab a bucket of water from outside and splashed some of it onto her face. She woke with a start and started breathing heavily.

"Aneue? Are you ok?" Kohaku asked quietly. Sango only looked at him for a moment before tears began to form in her eyes. Kohaku sighed and pulled her into a comforting hug. His sister was being much more emotional than usual. Normally, when things like this happened, she'd deal with it all internally...she didn't cling to people like she was to him at that moment. He didn't like this new change, not this suddenly anyway...

Kohaku sighed as he rubbed her back gently, rather upset with how fragile his sister had suddenly become. _Let's hope we can get Sango and Miroku back together..._ he thought as he looked his sister over, _Or Aneue might just die of a broken heart..._

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"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four...Welcome back Kachie...two, three, four..." Kagome said as a sulking Kachie made her way into Kagome's and Hekele's room and sat on Hekele's bed.

"Hey Kags...Inu..." she muttered as she began to look through Hekele's comic book collection. Kagome rolled her eyes as she continued to teach Inuyasha the steps to the dance.

"You know Kachie, I signed you and Hekele up today for the talent show...the least you can do is tell me why you couldn't sign yourself up..." she prodded. Kachie glared at her dangerously.

"Never will I tell a living soul what happened. Just know that if Matsu Tsukasa ends up dead tomorrow, you know it was me."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Whatever...Inuyasha, I can't teach you to dance if you don't move your feet..."

Inuyasha, who had stopped dancing, stood firmly in place, "I ain't trip over myself with a witness here to tell the tale!" Kagome sighed and stared at Kachie, willing her to leave. Kachie rolled her eyes and grabbed a huge stack of comic books.

"Hekele won't miss these...for a while..." she said, and with that, she left the room.

Kagome rolled her own eyes and looked back at Inuyasha, "Better?"

Inuyasha nodded, "Much..."

Kagome punched him in the arm lightly, "You wanna take a break? You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about..."

Inuyasha visibly paled, but nodded, "Um...yeah...there was...I don't know how to start it though..." Kagome shrugged and sat on her bed; pulling Inuyasha down next to her.

"Just start talking...I'll listen..." she said honestly. Inuyasha took a deep breath.

"It has to do with the day we ran into that crystal woman...with what happened when you blacked out..." he said slowly. Kagome furrowed her brow.

"Ok...what is it that you want to tell me?" she asked. Inuyasha bit his lip in worry.

"Well...first off, do you remember anything that happened after you were hit by the orbs of pure energy and were thrown into the tree?" he asked. Kagome thought for a moment.

**8888888888**

_Suddenly, however, she felt nothing. No pain...just...bliss. She wasn't aware of anything. She was only conscious that she was moving, and that was it. She leapt to and fro and maneuvered her arms and hands beautifully. As suddenly as her 'dance' had begun, it was over. She was no longer aware of the sensation of movement, and felt the ground claim her._

**8888888888**

"I remember moving...I don't know how to express it...I felt as light as a cloud...like I was dancing...I felt like a ballerina...it was incredible...but then I felt nothing...except that I was falling..." she said honestly. Inuyasha hesitated, but he had come to far to chicken out at that point...

"I think you should know what really happened Kags...but..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say next. Kagome frowned at him.

"Just tell me Inuyasha...if I need to know, then I need to know...don't skip around the subject..." she said, edging him on.

"Well..." he began, "Kagome...she was in pieces when you were through with her..."

Kagome's eyes got huge, "W-what?" Inuyasha took another deep breath, and pressed on.

"I...I think it's like what you see when I turn into a full demon...You were completely unaware of what was happening...but still...that demoness didn't have a chance...There was blood everywhere..." he went on, watching Kagome closely for her reaction. The girl looked like she was about to start crying...

"No..." she said, more to herself than to Inuyasha. He nodded his head slowly, pulling her into a soft embrace, knowing that she needed it.

"I'm sorry Kags...but...it happened...it was like you couldn't hear anything...it was..."

"...a slaughter?" Kagome finished for him sadly. Inuyasha sighed, but nodded. He couldn't lie to her.

Kagome sat there, in Inuyasha's arms, for a long time. She just couldn't digest the information. _No...I'd remember something like that...he can't be right..._

_**He isn't right...**_

_...Who are you?_

_**Why, this one is you of course...and Inuyasha isn't right...completely...**_

_Then why is he telling me this?_

_**He's jealous...he wasn't the one to defeat the creature...you, little weak Kagome, had to defeat her and save him...he doesn't like that...**_

_But...I thought..._

_**Oh true...you killed the creature...I don't know why you're so adverse to killing now...you've done it enough...**_

_What do you mean?_

_**Naraku, his minions, Kikyo, other evil demons...what? You didn't think they wouldn't count, did you? You're a murderer...even before you were granted the dark powers of a demoness...you killed so often...and you didn't even care...you're as evil as any of them...**_

_T-that's not true! We had to get rid of those demons in order to help people! It's not the same! It's not like I enjoyed killing!_

_**So foolish...you didn't care though either did you? Killing never bothered you...is that not as evil as enjoying it? You are evil...you killed the fallen's child...embrace it dear...embrace yourself...**_

_I'm not evil..._

_**Child...stop denying the inevitable...even Inuyasha thinks you are an evil monster...you should have seen his fearful face when you disemboweled the crystal child...all the screaming...and to think...you heard nothing...all those pleas to let her live...and to stop slashing and ripping at her flesh...it was quite a desperate show...Oh, I'm sorry, have I upset you?**_

_He...didn't tell me she screamed...didn't tell me she begged...you're lying..._

_**No darling...he was just too afraid...afraid of his superior...he is only a lowly hanyou...he stood no chance...so he risks not angering his better by keeping her ignorant...**_

_You can't be me...I don't care what he is...I still love him..._

_**You hate his vile flesh...you know you're better than him...**_

"Kagome? Kagome, say something...please? You're too quiet...talk to me..." Inuyasha said, rubbing her back. She had been spaced out for a long time, and he was getting worried.

_You can't be me..._

_**It's true, you and this one are a united being...we are one and the same...**_

_You can't be me..._

_**Yes...**_

_You can't be me._

_**Yes...we are...**_

_You can't be me!_

_**Yes...you and this one...are one...**_

_No!_

"Kagome...are you-"

"No!" she yelled, jumping up and away from Inuyasha. She just stared at him, breathing heavily and trembling with both rage and fear. Inuyasha stared at her, shocked. He made move to stand up, to try to comfort her...or _something_...

"Kags..." he tried, reaching for her slightly. Kagome backed away.

"You're lying Inuyasha! I wouldn't do that! I wouldn't kill someone like that! Why are you telling me this?" she yelled. Inuyasha's lips parted slightly in hurt and shock. Kagome had just bluntly called him a liar. He had been completely frank with her, and she didn't believe him.

"I'm not lying Kagome...and I'm not mad...I just need for you to know this so we can figure out what's going on..." he tried, approaching her once more.

Kagome only took another step away from him and stared at him accusingly. There was an undeniable fury in her eyes, as well as a deep pool of hurt. Inuyasha didn't like seeing those emotions in Kagome; she was suppose to be light-hearted and happy. He was angry at himself for upsetting her so much...but he needed her to understand...they needed to know what was happening...

"Stop lying Inuyasha! Shut-up and go away!" she yelled. Inuyasha swore that part of his heart cracked when she said those words. Her eyes were just burning into him as though trying to scorch his heart. And they even appeared a bit red...

"Kagome-"

"GO AWAY!" Inuyasha froze . Her eyes _were_ red. They were flickering slightly, but they were most definitely a bright red instead of her usual dark brown. But...how...

"NOW!" Inuyasha sighed in defeat, and hurt. She didn't believe him, and he knew that something was wrong too.

"Stop acting like a two year old and listen to me Kagome! Look at your eyes! Their red! You aren't acting like yourself either!" he yelled back in his frustration. Kagome growled low in her throat, and even for a human, it was pretty threatening.

"JUST SHUT-UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE YOU STUPID HANYOU!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment in sheer shock and anger. Then, his eyes darkened slightly in silent rage as he turned around and opened her door. He walked out of it just as Kachie, Hekele, Ms. Higurashi, and Koga came running up the stairs to investigate the yelling. He turned back and looked at Kagome, and his eyes narrowed in hurt anger.

"FINE! I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE, YOUDAMN BITCH!" he retorted as he slammed the door. Everyone stared at him in complete shock, but he only kept walking, speaking to no one or even looking them in the eye. He just walked. He was too hurt to stop and explain. There was no reason for Kagome's accusations, or her brutal delivery.

Inuyasha walked down the stairs and out the door. And he didn't even pause before jumping down the well...

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Kachie was leaning against Koga as the two sat on the couch while Hekele was sitting in the chair, staring off into space and deep in thought. Ms. Higurashi was washing the dishes from everyone's dinner, with help from Souta and Grandpa. The meal had been miserable, and Kagome had flat out refused to come out of her room. Inuyasha had left them all without answers to their questions, and Kagome hadn't told them anything.

After ten minutes of trying to get her to open the door, Koga had decided to head back to the feudal era and get information out of Inuyasha, however, Ms. Higurashi felt that it would be in everyone's best interest to let both Inuyasha and Kagome cool off before anyone spoke to them further on the matter. No one disagreed.

So Koga had stayed for dinner, and the entire event had been quiet, except for Grandpa's and Souta's questions on why Kagome wasn't joining them. That had been twenty minutes ago, and still everyone was silent. No one knew what to say. Finally, Kachie couldn't stand it anymore.

"...Do you think we've waited long enough? I mean, I know those two argued a lot in the past, but they haven't been that bad in months...and this...this is way over the top..." Kachie said truthfully. Koga sighed and wrapped an arm around her, encircling her in a warm embrace. He didn't know whether or not the time was right, but he wasn't about to try and find out. It was like a sixth sense was telling him to stay put, and he listened.

"I don't think now's the right time...let's at least give him another hour...this _is_ Inuyasha we're talking about..." he said. Kachie nodded.

Ms. Higurashi chose that time to bring the rest of the family into the room, "All done! How are you three holding up?" Souta sat next to Hekele on the chair and she gave him a small hug. Grandpa sat on the couch a ways away from Kachie and Koga.

Hekele sighed, "I don't know...I just wish I knew what was up...this whole thing is killing me..." Souta nodded.

"It's not like Kagome to get so mad...I wonder what happened..." he said sadly. Ms. Higurashi sighed.

"It may be a while before we find out..." she replied regretfully.

Koga was about to make a reply when there was a knock at the door. Everyone looked around in confusion; no one had been expecting visitors. Ms. Higurashi, however, was unfazed for the most part and walked over to the door. She was not prepared for who would be on the other side.

There stood a man and a women, both looking very upset. They stared at Ms. Higurashi with conviction, "Where is she?Now!"

Kachie looked back to see who was at the door and her jaw dropped, "Mom...Dad?"

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Lady Oyu sighed as she watched Inuyasha come back through the well. He appeared very angry, but his anger was laced with something...was it sorrow?

"You seem upset Inuyasha...could it be that your love has lashed out at you? You poor dear...it hurts doesn't it? Well, soon you and your friends won't feel any more pain; you'll be too busy running from the devils of hell to feel pain once this one is through with you..." she said idly. Kotaro chose then to appear, and Oyu smiled at him 'lovingly'.

"Kotaro, love,this one wishesher power would allowher to see what they are doing while in the future, it would be much more entertaining..." she complained. Kotaro looked at her oddly.

"You cannot go to the future and see them with your magic, love?" he asked. Lady Oyu shook her head.

"No, this one cannot, their time is a time in which most magic is dead, and what still exists is difficult to tap into...so this one cannot spy on them easily...besides, even if this one wanted to use the extra power, her magic would be detected by Kagome...and we cannot have the little murderer knowing that something out of place was happening..." she replied silkily. Kotaro sighed and sat in the chair next to Oyu, not knowing what to say. Oyu seemed not to mind.

"Kotaro, love, this one thinks that she shall be visiting them all soon. This one is ready to make herself known."

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**Me:** Dun-da-dun!

**Kachie:** Next she is going to write the history of Oyu and Kotaro...then my chappie...

**Me:** And then, after that, Kohaku and Kanna, and then Sango and Miroku, and then Hekele and Sesshy, and then Kags and Inu. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am screwing up the order slightly for plot purposes. The K and K chappie is going to lead into the S and M chappie, and Miroku might just get cured in that one. Kags and Inu, for plot purposes, need to be affected by the spell for more than two and a half chapters, and that is the reason for the order change. Is that ok? Good, I thought so...

**Kachie:** The Oyu/Kotaro history chapter will basically be a summary of their...well...history and how everything came to pass and why things are the way they are now...it is not a chapter that is _too_ vital to the storyline, but it may come in handy.

**Me:** Now, there are a few of you who think that I am including the bad guys too much and that you are beginning to get attached to them. Well, I am sorry to say this, but that is what I want to happen. Mostly because they aren't the usual type of bad guys. I want you to know and feel what they feel, and then turn around at a crossroad of my story and have to make the decision between right and wrong every single time they do. You'll get what I mean by this a bit more if you read the Oyu/Kotaro chapter...Call it me trying to evolve my writing skills so that in the future I can be a better and hopefully well-known and published author.

**Kachie:** That is your dream!

**Me:** That, being a marine biologist, and before that a photographer for _National Geographic_ magazine...

**Kachie:** Hey, I didn't ask for your life story, shut-up and start writing those chappies.

**Me:** Whatever, I want to get a few reviews first, I don't care how many though...I'll write after I get some...

**Kachie:** (rolls eyes) Ok gang, that's your cue to hit that little button...please review!


	11. History of Kotaro and Oyu

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hey guys! Here is your Oyu/Kotaro history chapter. It is going to be shorter, (hopefully...) than my other chapters. Also, it isn't going to be in story format...or at least, my usual story format...well, until they actually meet, but after that, it'll be back to the less in depth writing...

This is something to the side that may help you understand my two characters. I will get to work on the regular chapter as soon as I finish this one...instead of switching back to my _Tokyo Mew Mew_ story like I usually do...feel honored.

Remember; I want reviews, scratch that, I want _structured _reviews. I don't care how few I get...just as long as I get constructive feedback...ok? I am no longer in this just to hear how much you all like the story in general...I'm in it to hear how I can improve my story by increasing elements that you like while decreasing elements that you dislike..._without_ changing the plot. That is where I draw the line...that is my only line...is it too much to ask?

**Disclaimer**: I may not own Inuyasha...but I own everything else in this chapter...so boo ya! Oh! And Oyu is going to be referred to as Ariel in the first part of her history. (Ariel is the name of an actual fallen angel...I looked it up! Oh, and there is Latin in there...watch out; I have the translation at the bottom of the chapter...)

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**History of Kotaro and Oyu**

'_**Oyu: currently known as Ariel'**_

Ariel was an angel in heaven, and had been for thousands of years before God had sent her to Earth to teach and guide the humans. It had been a simple mission; and she could stay as long as she liked as long as she obeyed his orders. However, Ariel had made the mistake of getting too close to one of the humans; a male, named Zachariah.

Zachariah was tall, and had ebony black hair with deep brown eyes. He too had fallen under love's potent spell. Ariel was the one woman who had ever given him the time of day, and he treasured every moment spent with her. In his mind, it was an odd occurrence; in a time where wives were many and marriages never sacred; he found that he only wanted one woman, and he wanted her to love him. He would see her every day in the village, and he would do his best to charm her when he had the chance.

One day she offered to cook him dinner, a gesture of friendship, and he agreed. But when she arrived at his home two hours later; he had prepared her a fine dinner fit for a priest. 'A gesture of friendship' he told her. She had smiled and blushed at his kindness, and Zachariah had never been more pleased.

For two months they had visited with one another off and on, and they both had found something that they never thought they could find; true love. For Ariel, it was both a blessing and a curse. She had never felt love before, and so it was the most incredible feeling that she had ever had. However, she could never have her love...because she was on Earth only to help people...not to build a life for herself that she knew was against her Lord's wishes.

Ariel had heard of other angels sent to Earth who had fallen in love and sinned with their lovers...they had been sent to the second lowest part of heaven, in an eternal entrapment. She did not want this fate in the least...but...she did not want to abandon the man she had grown to love...and so she didn't.

On the anniversary of their third month; Ariel broke down and told Zachariah that she was an angel, and showed him her snow white wings. She had cried, telling him that they could never be, but how much she loved him at the same time. He had held her tightly to him and lovingly brushed his lips across her forehead while telling her that no matter what happened to them, that he would always love her.

Zachariah kept her secret dutifully, and so Ariel received no more than a slap on the wrist for giving herself away. God wanted desperately to give her another chance, and so he trusted this human to keep silent forever...and his trust was not misplaced. For two years after Ariel's confession, Zachariah kept her secret to himself and the two were able to continue living their lives as they wished. After they had been together for _one _year, he asked Ariel to live with him, and Ariel accepted. It was a marriage proposal of sorts, but they made a vow never to sin, so that they could remain together forever.

For the next year, they lived happily, but the tension between them began to increase dramatically. All Zachariah wanted was Ariel, and all Ariel wanted was Zachariah. Finally, after almost one year of living together, their will broke. They sinned together, and had no regrets.

Ariel was immediately put to trial before the angels and God, and was found guilty on all accounts. Before she was banished to the second lowest part of heaven, however, it was discovered that she was with child.

This was an interesting development. No angel had ever given birth to a human's child before. Ariel was thus granted permission to remain on Earth until she gave birth. She was both overjoyed and depressed at once; she was still going to have to give up everything she had come to love...and, because her child was to remain on Earth, every one...

Zachariah was overcome with happiness when Ariel informed him of their child-to-be, and that she was allowed to stay for another nine months until she gave birth. While she wept with dread, he comforted her and hugged her and loved her all the more, saying: 'At least I can see the love of my life for a little longer...and I shall tell our child about you everyday of his or her life...no one will ever be able to replace you...my angel...'

When Ariel finally gave birth, it was a bittersweet day. She only had time to name their baby girl and kiss her on the head before God's angels came to take her away. She gave Zachariah one final passionate kiss before she was whisked away to her heavenly prison. From the sky she looked down on her baby girl and smiled softly as tears flooded her eyes.

"I'll always love you..._Miko_..."

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'_**Kotaro'**_

Kotaro was your average little boy. He enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, despite the fact that his parents only insisted on the best for him. He was their only child, and thus was spoiled relentlessly, but he never once was rotten. He was thankful for everything, and he showed his appreciation whether he truly was happy or not.

Kotaro's family was more than just a little well off; they owned a vast estate with several maids and butlers under their employ. His parents headed a multi-billion dollar company, but always made time for their son...at first.

Despite the fact that Kotaro could have whatever he wanted, what he truly wished for was affection from his parents. They both were reluctant to go anywhere without their child for the first four years of his life, however, after entrusting their child to his grandparents for a weekend when they went away on a business trip, they found that they didn't need to be with him twenty-four seven. Eventually, he would only see his parents on holidays and hopefully his birthday, and his grandparents moved into the estate so that he could live at home.

Kotaro and his grandfather became very close. His grandfather was into all sorts of different things; history, angelology, science, and even magic. He had all sorts of books on angels and magical spells. Kotaro's grandfather always loved to think that there was more to life than just facts, but he loved facts all the same. He was a very knowledgeable man, and Kotaro loved to listen to his stories and theories. He could almost forget that his parents were never home, and he treasured every moment of his life. He wished things could always feel as perfect.

When he was sixteen, his grandparents died; his grandfather of cancer, and his grandmother of a broken heart. Still, his parents only appeared for the funerals, one six months after the other. Only for the funeral, not for even a night to be by their mourning son's side. They were gone not an hour later; he was sixteen, he could take care of himself now.

Kotaro spent his remaining high school years alone. No friends, no girlfriends, no anyone. He was the supposed spoiled rich kid who had whatever he wanted. No one wanted _him_. He was teased continuously, and he spoke to no one, which only fueled the rumors and stories. He went to college at Tokyo University, but still made no friends. He was like a leper; untouchable, unlovable.

When he finished at Todai, he got himself a job as a primary school teacher, as he was very partial to children; despite the fact that his childhood was lonely. His parents weren't happy with this; they wanted him to take over their company when the time came, and not to 'babysit snot-nosed children.' Yes, his cautious and ever-loving parents had changed dramatically since their responsibility to their son had expired; children no longer mattered to them in the least. Kotaro, however, refused to quit his job. In turn, his parents froze his trust fund and disowned him.

Three months later; Kotaro was mailed some books that had been found in his grandparents' old room, which his parents were having remodeled into a guestroom. They were his grandfather's magic and angel books. He placed them on his shelf and looked at them for a long time before going to bed that night. His heart was still too hurt to look at them right then.

The next six months went by like a snail on a quarter mile track field. Kotaro lost his job when the school made budget cuts and was very close to losing his apartment as a result. He finally, after much deliberation, took out one of the angel books and opened it up. He was going to call upon an angel for help; it was all he could do at that point.

The ingredients for the summoning spell we very costly, so he hoped it worked. He didn't want to disrupt heaven, however, so he looked for a spell that could summon a fallen angel out of their prison, give them a sort of second chance...everyone deserved second chances...

A diamond, a sapphire, an emerald, a ruby, and a pure white crystal placed on the five points of a pentacle lined in crushed rose quartz; that was what the spell called for, along with a few drops of Kotaro's own blood, to give his angel a physical body, and a spell chanted in Latin. Kotaro set up his apartment and made the symbol, along with the precious and semi-precious stones. He closed his eyes and said the chant, readying himself to cut the palm of his hand for the blood.

"_O Deus_

_Commodo transporto mihi a cado angelus_

_Transporto suus ut servo meus mores _

_Quod meus vita_

_Transporto suus transmitto mihi in vox procuratio _

_Permissum suus subsisto in meus tutela_

_Patefacio porta of Deus _

_Tribuo meus cado alter chance procul salus..._

_Dum is dat mihi mei..."_ After his prayer was said he cut his palm and allowed a few drops to land in the center of the pentacle. The whole symbol began to glow a brilliant shade of red, which softened into a light shade of pink, and then into white. Kotaro could have sworn he heard shackles opening, but as soon as the sound diminished, so did the light. Everything was as it was before the ritual; Kotaro's hand was healed, except for a scar, and the only other clue that he had cast the spell were the precious stones scattered on his floor. It hadn't worked.

Kotaro merely sighed to himself and put his head in his hands remorsefully, thinking over and over to himself that he had been a fool for believing in such rubbish. He looked back at the costly stones on the floor and came to a realization; the white crystal was missing...

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(From here to the end of how the two meet, it's my normal/omniscient story writing...)

'_How they met'_

Ariel stared at her surroundings oddly; where was she? That last thing that the fallen remembered, she was still a prisoner in Heaven...not an Earth-dweller. She looked at her angelic attire and frowned; it certainly wouldn't do for blending in. She chanted a small spell and was thrilled when it worked. She now wore a black business skirt, a white blouse, a black tie, and some black hi-heels. True, she looked like a lowly secretary, but it would do for the time being.

Much to Ariel's surprise, there was a white crystal around her neck, and it was glowing slightly. She knew what that meant; she now belonged to someone. She had not been freed by will or forgiveness, but only the greed of a human who wanted something out of her. It figured.

_But at least this one is free...and this one shall use this freedom to her advantage...but first...this one must find the one who summoned her..._

After an hour or so, and a bit of difficulty walking in heels for the first time, Ariel came face-to-face with an apartment building. Ariel bit her lip; she did not want to reveal herself as an angel quite yet, so she quickly thought up a plan; she would create an identity for herself and move into the building, where she could wait patiently until the proper time to bump into her new master.

After checking to make sure that no one was looking, she materialized a briefcase and opened it; after chanting another spell, and feeling a bit dizzy in the process, there lay all the paperwork she would need to convince the human in charge of the building that she was who she pretended she was; Ariel even had money in a wallet inside the briefcase. She smiled to herself and looked at her new name: Oyu Takamo

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Kotaro sighed to himself as he walked out of his apartment; he was going to have to find a new apartment...or a new job, soon. He didn't have the money to keep his own any longer. The poor young man had three interviews that day, and only one had to do with being a teacher.

He sighed as he passed a young woman in the hall on his way to the elevator; she looked to just be moving into one of the vacant apartments, and seemed to be having a bit of trouble with her couch. Kotaro looked around and found that no one was there helping her, and looked at his watch; he had a good half hour before he had to even worry about the first interview, so he decided to bypass his morning coffee.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but is there anything I can help you with?" he asked politely. The woman looked up, a bit startled, but smiled.

"Thank you so much...can you grab that end over there and help this one angle this behemoth so we can get it inside? Please?" she asked sweetly. Kotaro returned her smiled gladly and nodded as he got ready to pick up his end of the couch. On the count of three, they lifted it, tilted it to the right, and were able to get it inside the apartment with ease. The woman thanked him once more and Kotaro shrugged it off. He helped her with the rest of her furniture.

After the two were finished, Kotaro apologized and explained that he had to leave for the day in search of a job. He told her that he'd be home around four o'clock if she needed any help and pointed to his apartment's door a bit down the hall. The woman nodded cheerfully and thanked him a third time for his help. Kotaro only smiled at her and was on his way. He stuck his finger in the air momentarily and executed a perfect 360 and walked back in the woman's direction.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw her confused expression, "What, may I ask, is your name?" The woman blushed a bit, but smiled all the same.

"This one's name is Oyu Takamo. And yours?" she asked quietly. Kotaro could help but find the way she referred to herself as 'this one' rather attractive and endearing...

"I'm Kotaro Chuugi; it's a pleasure to meet you my fair lady Oyu..." he joked as he mocked chivalry and bowed before her. Oyu's smile broadened and she even chuckled a bit at his antics. She shook her head.

"You might want to get to your interviews before it's too late knight-boy..."

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Kotaro and Oyu ended up dating a few months later. Oyu herself was quite surprised at how kind and endearing her new master, Kotaro, was. She still did not, however, tell him who she was, and she doubted that she ever would.

It was simple for her to see how detached from affection he was, because he did whatever was in his power to keep her happy, which wasn't much, granted, but his need to try made her care about him was quite curious. Eventually, she asked him about it, and learned of his past family troubles. She felt pity for him, a great pity that she hadn't felt in years, and comforted him with her hugs and kisses almost happily. It was clear to her that he only wanted guidance from the angel he had 'tried' to summon when he told her the story, and how it had been later that day that he had, in his opinion, met a real angel. Oyu had blushed, more out of reflex than flattery, but still didn't tell him that it was she who he had summoned.

Over the course of five months, Oyu became interested in Kotaro's grandfather's old spell books and, when the two ended up moving in together, often would spend hours looking in them at various different spells and rituals. Kotaro was quite pleased with this, and bought more books by the same authors, and other highly recommended ones as well. Soon, their apartment became nothing more than a giant library of books, and Kotaro had never been happier in his entire life.

He and Oyu were both working steadily and had a reasonable income, so Kotaro suggested buying a small house on the outskirts of the city, and Oyu readily agreed. It took all of two weeks before they found their 'dream home' and only two more before they moved in. They knocked down one of the walls eventually and turned two of the three bedrooms into a library for all their books.

On their one year anniversary, Kotaro gave Oyu, along with a very expensive diamond necklace, an ancient tomb of spells. It was quite the exquisite piece of writing, and it had cost Kotaro a good portion of his paycheck for the previous seven months of their relationship, but in his eyes, it was worth it just to see her own eyes shine so bright with excitement; they shone like a child at Christmas.

It was then that Kotaro started to notice changes in his beloved. She spent more time in the library than with him, or at work even. Eventually, she even slept in the library more and more frequently. Kotaro didn't want to confront to her his internal pain at such an act; he didn't want to make her feel guilty or upset. So he kept quiet for a while, but it was eventually too much for him to take.

Oyu had been surprised at Kotaro's words when he confronted her about her obvious lack of attention towards him. Part of her was a bit hurt, but only a part. She found it odd, but no matter how much love he showed for her, she could only pretend to love him back. She could not leave Kotaro...she was technically _his_ angel...but not only that, but she needed him as well. She needed his spell books, his resources...and to a degree, she needed his affection. She did not love him, but she still needed his love. Oyu couldn't understand it, but to a degree, she didn't care.

Kotaro had crawled into bed that night feeling both rotten and victorious at having told Oyu off, but more guilty than anything; so when Oyu came to bed that night and curled up next to him, he was a bit at odds on what he should do. Eventually, happy that she was not angry with his jealousy, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. They fell asleep like that.

Oyu started to pay him more attention after that, and Kotaro didn't complain. One day, she ran up to him when he got home from work and all but tackled him to the ground in happiness. She was trying to show him something in the tomb he had given her, and she wouldn't stop talking long enough to take a decent breath. When asked to calm down, Oyu finally took a deep breath and said:

"Let this one show you."

She had taken Kotaro to their library and had showed him what looked like a ritualistic alter. She explained that for the longest time, she had been trying to do a very difficult ritual, one that took a lot of power, and that she had finally been able to do it. Unbeknownst to Kotaro, her magic was limited. After being bound and dormant for so many thousands of years, it had only enough will to give her the simple things she desired that first day she was 'released.' Ever since, she had been able to do no magic at all. Now she could.

The ritual was a powerful one; it allowed her to increase her own power ability by tenfold after being cast only once. However, the spell did have it's limitations; it would only work the first time. Oyu had finally gotten her power to flow just enough to cast the spell, now it was completely free, and it had been increased. Kotaro however, still knowing nothing of her past, was amazed beyond words at her abilities. He picked her up and whirled her in circles telling her how incredible she was. Oyu could only beam at her personal triumph.

Kotaro helped Oyu cast spells and rituals all the time after that, exercising her power as much as possible. It was soon discovered that when Oyu used too much magic, however, that she would grow rather weak for long periods of time, depending on how much she used. Kotaro would care for her lovingly during those times and gently tease her about not knowing when to quit and rest. Oyu didn't mind though, she would just crack open a spell book and look up a new spell to do when she was well again.

One night Oyu was late in the library again, but Kotaro hadn't minded, (she promised to come to bed before it was too late,) and she found a very intriguing spell. It would give her immense power...but it would take time; lot's and lot's of time. Oyu also needed a host, a catalyst, for the power. It had to be a person; one that she cared for, or at least had a strong affinity with. She knew exactly who to choose.

She crawled into bed that night and smiled at her sleeping lover's face. She took out her white crystal, the one that unbeknownst to him labeled her as his, and lightly ran it across his face as she chanted lightly in Latin.

"_Meus angelus, meus everto, meus humanus..._

_Patefacio vestri pectus pectoris quod animus..._

_Recipero vox EGO ictus in vos per haud desiderium..._

_Nunquam suspectus quisquam tamen meus diligo..._

_Tantum devoveo vestri ut mihi quod meus causa..._

_Vos es iam meus catalyst of vox..._

_Take totus vox EGO transporto vobis quod velieris is ex vel vestri..._

_Ut EGO tribuo vos to order; solvo is totus..._

_Pessum do nequam universitas of humanus..._

_Succurro mihi tempestas impenetrabiilis porta of Olympus..._

_Succurro mihi sceptrum totus..."_

Oyu then, to seal the spell, kissed him lightly on the lips. Kotaro glowed slightly, and then it was over. Oyu smiled to herself; the spell had worked. Now, whenever she killed someone, their energy would flow into Kotaro, and he would never know. He was her catalyst of power, he was going to help her take over the earth to spite the god that had punished her for falling in love, and then he was going to help her storm heaven's gates and rule over both dimensions. In short; he was going to help her take over the world. The best part was this: because of the spell that she used; he would be completely devoted to her always and would never deny her anything she asked for so long as he never discovered that she was only using him and that her 'love' was fake. If that were to happen, she would lose all influence over him, but he would still be her catalyst.

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Kotaro found it odd how easy it was to trust in Oyu's plan to 'purge the world of all it's evil.' He didn't mind though; as soon as she explained it to him, he believed in it. The world needed cleaning up; it needed for all wars to stop and for peace to be brought, and Kotaro was willing to do whatever it took to make his love's dreams come true.

At first the pair started off small, casting spells that eventually killed those who committed heinous crimes, but then as Oyu's power grew, they cast spells that ended wars and battles. Oyu soon began ranting about how pollution and cities were killing the earth and all it's beauty, so she began striking down the giant cities of the world and, unbeknownst to Kotaro once more, gaining even more power with every life she claimed.

After one year of this hell on earth, where you could die and never get a second's worth of warning, Oyu's attitude changed, and Kotaro could clearly see the greed and war lord spirit in her eyes, still, he found no reason not to love her and her plans for the world's future. Her kisses were always as sweet and caring as ever, and when they began to gather a following of those who wanted to be a part of the new world, she was devoted only to him. All the men that she had chanced an encounter with were denied when they tried to get close to her. She cared naught for them, and Kotaro couldn't help but develop a sort of possessiveness for her. Everything was going perfectly.

One day, however, when the two and their new armies decided to strike Tokyo, the world's last major city of opposition, they found a very powerful barrier surrounding it. This amount of power and resistance angered Oyu to no end, and after a month of steady persistence, the barrier was broken. Oyu decided to search for it's source before she destroyed the city; she needed to know and understand that power, so she could fight it more easily in the future.

What she found was a group of rather young adults, no older than Kotaro, and a few young teenagers. They were demons, and one of the demons also had the ability to transform into a priestess. It was an odd opposition, but no matter what Oyu tried, they were all able to combat her with as much fervor and hate as she attacked them with. The two sides had many battles, and Oyu was as impressed as she was angered.

Oyu used her power to see the pasts of this opposition an found and interesting one. Most were from Japan's feudal era, one was a dog demon lord, one his hanyou sibling, another was a former demon slayer, her husband a former monk, a kitsune teenager who looked at the hanyou and 'priestess' as his parents, a teenage orphan girl adopted by the demon lord and his mate-to-be, (who was a dog/rain mixed demoness like her 'daughter',) a cat demon with two tails, a wind demoness, a teenage demoness who could steal souls, and teenage ice demon who was the younger brother of the former demon slayer, a wolf demon prince, and a wolf/fire mixed demoness, whom was the prince's mate-to-be. The priestess, when in her demon form, was a dog/kitsune mix.

Oyu had never come across such a strange group, whose lives were linked to the former Shikon no Tama. They had gathered the jewel together and a wish was made so that they would forever be able to remain together as a group, so, all of the humans, which most of the group consisted of at first, turned to demons while in the feudal era, and humans while in the present era. Oyu was intrigued; this group could travel through time.

Eventually, demons in the present era made themselves known, and after little trouble, were accepted into society as though they were human. Though demons were so much more powerful, they needed to cooperate with humans to live normal lives; their need for blood and destruction had disappeared over the centuries, and they were peaceful. When this amazing phenomenon occurred, the oddly mixed group came to live permanently in the present era, as there were far more opportunities and advances there.

So there the group was, and after a difficult and power draining spell on the priestess's part; they could remain in their demon forms while in the present. Once more, Oyu was amazed; she wanted that kind of power. No matter what she tried, however, nothing worked; the group was too connected, too close to one another to allow them to not save a friend. After studying the group; Oyu knew what she had to do.

The former demon slayer, who was an ice/telepathic mixed demoness, was eight months pregnant with her first child. Oyu then made her first major request of Kotaro; he was to murder her. Kotaro seemed not to mind this order in the least, and without complaint, he went to go obey it.

The young woman, Sango, was a sweet individual. Her husband's name was Miroku, who was gone grocery shopping for the two of them when Kotaro decided to strike. Miroku had been very hesitant to leave Sango unattended for a long period of time, and she had only laughed, kissed him lightly on the cheek, and sent him on his way, stating that she would be just fine. Kotaro felt an odd sensation at that moment, wondering if he would act so concerned and tender if he and Oyu ever had children. He hoped so, but that day was still quite a way's away.

He waited ten minutes after Miroku left to strike, still feeling no qualms about what he was about to do. He made certain to stay downwind from the ice demoness the entire time he was stalking her. When he was right behind her, he grabbed her and snapped her neck before she could even react to his presence, and then without thought, he stabbed her stomach, leaving no chance for the unborn child's survival.

It was then, as her blood ran down his hands, that he began to feel again. He felt guilt, disgust, self-hate, loathing, pain, anger, sadness. Kotaro didn't understand. What had he done? He had fought in battles with Oyu before, but this was different; this was murder in every sense of the word. Kotaro only froze in place as this realization crept into his mind. He looked at Sango's dead body once more, not knowing what to do, and saw a necklace around her neck with her name in it. He took it; he needed something to remind him of humanity; he couldn't do this evil crime again; he needed to carry a piece of humanity with him...

He watched as Miroku ran into his home when he pulled into the driveway and the scent of Sango's blood reached his nose. Kotaro watched as the enraged and completely destroyed man held his dead wife in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Kotaro could only look at the ground in shame; he knew he would feel the same had the tables been turned. He could never forgive himself.

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The group had been thrown into a state of complete sadness and anger as Oyu had expected, but the desired effect of such feelings never took place. Instead of losing their grip and giving up; they only fought harder, and became more powerful in their fury. Oyu then came up with a second plan. It was risky, but it would definitely work.

The group's power obviously came from their desire to protect one another and their love for each other. So, Oyu dug deeper into each of their pasts and found that she was right; their love was what kept them going. However, some of the couples had functioned without love or affection before, and so losing it may not do more than enrage them, so, Oyu needed to find things that would damage them as well. Then she discovered the answer; separation.

While together the group was strong, apart they were individual and weak. Though losing love may only enrage some, others it would destroy, but either way they would be separate and alone. All she had to do was get them away from each other, and, in the process, she would have fun tormenting their souls. Their were things that pained those who existed without love, and those things could easily be recreated, and if not; they could be induced. Oyu decided to take Kotaro and go to the past and cast a spell to make her plan work. It would be simple.

And besides...soon it would be time for her to unleash all the power in her catalyst...if things didn't go her way, she still had a plan B.

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**Me-** I did it...sorry it took so long, but the first two weeks of school got in the way...

**Kachie-** Yep...lot's of hard work...but here you guys are...

**Me-** Remember, next is my Kachie/Koga chapter...and then y'all get my Kanna/Kohaku chappie! I promise...you'll want to read it! It sets everything up so that Sango and Miroku can get back to normal!

**Kachie-** Woot! Finally, something good is going to happen...soon...I hope...

**Me-** (rolls eyes) Reviewers, review! Kachie, stop thinking before you hurt yourself!

P.S. Here is the English translation of Kotaro's spell:

**Please send me a fallen angel, **

**Send her to save my ways, **

**And my life, **

**Send her to send me in the right direction, **

**Let her remain in my care, **

**Open the gate of God, **

**Give my fallen a second chance at salvation...**

**While she gives me mine...**

And here is the English translation of Oyu's spell:

**My angel, my demon, my human, **

**Open your heart and soul, **

**Accept the power I thrust into you with no regrets, **

**Never suspect anything but my love, **

**Only devote yourself to me and my cause, **

**You are now my catalyst of power, **

**Take all the power I send to you and hide it from even yourself, **

**When I give you the command; release it all, **

**Wreck the vile world of humans, **

**Help me storm the impenetrable gates of Heaven, **

**Help me rule all.**


	12. Goodbye for a time

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hiya ppls! Just a warning...I am listening to a lot of Enigma right now...awesome band btw...so...yeah...I'm feeling all mixed up now a days...(new music does that to me...I end up picking up the traits of the musical style for a short period of time...) In this case, the band I've been listening to is sort of a techno, ethnic, Gregorian chant mixture...so...they are so different than what I'm used to...and I lovers them with a passion...but if my writing and speech seems to have changed a bit...don't worry...it's just temporary...but then again, by the time this chappie is finished, I may moved onto something different...who knows...

I hope to god that I actually get Oyu right this time...cuz god damn it I did her dialogue wrong again in the last chappie for a quote or two! It is so frustrating! However, that is her character, and I must practice different types of speech anyway...so...blah...maybe Enigma's music will help me...

Here is your Kachie-Koga chappie! I hope you likey!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Inuyasha, I wouldn't be writing a fanfiction...so...blah! Oh, and watch out for possible excessive language in this one kiddies!

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**Good-bye For a Time**

"Mom...Dad?" Kachie couldn't believe it; her parents were standing outside the front door with very disgruntled looks upon their faces, anything but happy. Kachie felt Koga tighten his hold on her, and instinctively did the same to him. She knew why they were there, and she didn't want to be taken away.

Her parents looked into the house and saw their daughter, who was sitting rather close to a boy they were quite unfamiliar with. Her father's face hardened more if possible, "What the hell is going on here! Who the hell is that?" Kachie paled when she realized that he meant Koga, and recalled how he reacted when she had boys as even friends. She sent Koga a glance that clearly told him to let go of her; Koga, however, wasn't about to let her be taken away so suddenly, if at all...

He held a defiant and superior look in his eye, but tried to remain pleasant, "My name's Koga..." Kachie sighed audibly; this wasn't going to go well...

As if on cue, her father stormed into the house, fire blazing in his eyes, "Whoever you are, get the fuck away from my daughter!" Kachie made move to shove Koga away lightly, for his own good, but he kept his defiant eyes on her father's steady advance on the two, and his arm firmly around Kachie. Hekele's eyes were wide as she watched from the sidelines; Koga was in for it, and she knew it.

Kachie side-glanced Koga, "_Human_..." He looked at her oddly.

"What?" Kachie looked at her dad again and repeated herself.

"You're a **_human_**..." she muttered, only slightly louder. If one could measure the rate at which the color drained from Koga's face, they'd deserve a Nobel Prize. Koga was still, to an extent, accustomed to being only a demon, and so the bull-headed superiority of being such still effected his judgement from time to time.

What had failed to register in his mind was that while in the era where he currently sat stupidly, he was a 'weak' human, _not_ an 'all-powerful' demon. And, unfortunately for Koga, Kachie's father was just a bit bigger, a bit heavier, and _really_ pissed off. Koga would have to be lucky to get out of a fight with him adorning only minor injuries...

Koga could only utter one word before Kachie's father lifted him out of the couch by his collar, "Shit..."

Ms. Higurashi stepped in instantly to the boy's rescue, "Mr. Runa! I won't have you bullying anyone in this house! Set him down immediately or I'll call the police!"

Kachie too was up and tugging at her father's arm, "Dad! Let him down! He didn't do anything and you know it!" Mr. Runa ignored his daughter in favor of telling off Ms. Higurashi.

"Call the police? On me? You're the one who tried to keep my daughter from me for the past few weeks! My wife and I should be calling the police on you!" he yelled, still not releasing Koga, whom had taken to digging what nails he had into the man's skin in hopes of being set free. After a moment, it finally worked, and Koga was thrown down unceremoniously. He glared daggers at Kachie's father but said nothing; it would be irresponsible and stupid of him to start a brawl in the Higurashi household, especially with the kid, mom, and geezer there...

"What's going on?" It was the first time anyone had seen Kagome out of her room in the past two or three hours, and so it tossed them off guard for a second before the bickering began again; the now calm teenage girl left to piece the events together, and it didn't take her long.

"I've explained to you and your wife over the phone that there were delays in setting everything up! There was a blast of sorts here in Tokyo and everything was thrown out of order; I'm sure you've seen all the confusion on television. There were delays for mail for a while, and even phones; it was also precisely on the evening that the incident occurred that I received notification of your wish to reclaim Kachie. I've since then contacted the proper people and have tried to make this flow as smoothly as possible, but there were other things that were of greater importance in line ahead of us, such as _missing _children from the riots...please understand and calm yourself before I am forced to call the authorities," she explained throughly, and as calmly as possible. Kachie's mother, whom had been silent up until this point, made her presence known more pronouncedly.

"Look, Kachie is our daughter, and we want her back. All you had to do was stuff her on a plane back to the States; it really didn't take all this preparing that you make it out to have."

Ms. Higurashi silently fumed at the attitude and lack of understanding, but tried to remain as calm and polite as she possibly could, "It takes much more than simply that; we need to re-transfer her papers, you need to find her a new school, I need to take her off of my tax write-off, she needs time to say good-bye to everyone, and you and I needed to establish some communication between us so that we could discuss timing, potential flights, and payment for the flight; a three minute 'where-the-hell-is-she' phone conversation is not sufficient...besides...there is another, more serious factor involved..."

Kachie's mother rolled her eyes apathetically as Kachie's father fumed once more, "What other fucking factor is there? She is our daughter and we want her back home! There is no other factor!"

"Yes there is..." Everyone turned to look at Kachie, whose face was trained downward at the floor, her eyes hidden by her bangs.

"And what would that be, ingrate?" her mother muttered. Hekele watched all of this from the sidelines, knowing all too well what her friend was going to say next. She would give her support as soon as she saw an opening, but one thing bothered her; why were Kachie's parents acting like they were? It made no sense...Hekele never remembered such anger and uncaring from them...

Kachie took a deep breath, and then met the gaze of her parents, "I don't want to go," she took another breath, trying to keep her voice from cracking, "I want to stay here...forever..."

It was hard to gauge the initial reaction of Kachie's parents; there were traces of shock, anger, disappointment, confusion, and even more anger. Her father, after recovering from his surprise, mostly consisted of anger...

"Why you fucking bitch! How dare you even ask such a thing of us? We're your parents, not these pathetic bastards!" he screamed at her, walking towards her threateningly. Koga was standing instant and in front of her protectively; his face contorted into a snarl.

"Don't you dare touch her," he ground out threateningly. Hekele stood up then and Kagome was already half-way down the stairs, also coming to their friend's rescue. Kachie's father looked like he could go on a rampage; his face was red and full of hate.

"Mr. Runa, Kachie is a good girl, and we care about her very much...just as much as Hekele, and my own children. I would love more than anything to adopt her and take her in permanently...she is already considered part of the family...we all want her to stay..." Ms. Higurashi said honestly, still trying to be civil; her father looked like he wanted to whack Kachie's parents senseless, and they didn't need anyone to start a fight.

By this time, Hekele was standing by Kachie and Koga protectively, "They take good care of us and Kachie likes it here! Why can't she stay!" Kachie's father glared at her, something Hekele was completely unfamiliar with, but didn't regard her.

"She's our daughter and we can take her if we want; you're more than welcome to try to gain custody if you like, but no American court would give it to you, and I doubt a Japanese one would either; you've already got three brats and an old man to care for; no one would take away a child with a stable environment and throw her to one as unpredictable and hectic as yours..." his wife said, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff.

Kagome touched Kachie's shoulder comfortingly when she winced at her mother's words, and Koga's hand found hers from his place in front of her. Souta, feeling a combination of bravery and anger, walked up to Kachie and hugged her from behind, showing his own support. This surprised Kachie greatly; she had completely forgotten the young boy's presence, and apparently, her parents had also forgotten that there was a little guy in the house...

"Kachie is a fine young lady, and we're more than willing to get a lawyer and put up a fight to gain custody of her; especially now that we've seen how you treat her...are you sure a court wouldn't go against you in wake of your abuse?" Grandpa challenged. Ms. Higurashi looked at him sternly; the threads keeping this 'conversation' from turning into a bloodbath were too thin to determine, and that was _before_ the taunting started...

Kachie's father looked as though a blood vessel had popped, "What damn abuse? I've never even touched the little wench!"

Koga let out an angered growl, "She's _not_ a wench...stop putting her down..."

Her father sneered at Koga, "And what are you; her boyfriend?"

Koga's eyes flashed dangerously at the obvious challenge, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am."

Kachie's father stared him down, only mildly surprised that the boy had retaliated, "Then she's a fucking _whore_ as well..."

Hekele stepped in front of Koga angrily and stared at Kachie's father, "No she isn't! And Koga's a good guy; he's just looking out for Kachie and you know it! He loves her more than you two probably _ever _have!"

It happened so fast Hekele didn't even see it, the only evidence that it had even occurred were the stars swimming across her eyes, the extreme pain in her left cheek, and the red mark left there as well. Kachie's father had slapped her, hard. Hekele touched her face in shock and staggered back, never having anticipated such a thing.

Everyone else just stared on in complete surprise, not knowing what to do. Even Kachie's mother seemed surprised, she couldn't believe her husband had done such a thing; a flicker of remorse showed in her eyes, but it only lasted for a moment.

Kachie moved out of Souta's grasp and out from behind Koga to see if her friend was all right; she looked at Hekele's cheek critically and saw that a decently sized bruise was already beginning to form. She rounded on her father, "What the hell were you thinking? Why did you hit her! She didn't do anything but defend me!" Koga pulled Kachie back to him protectively as her father's eyes flickered dangerously.

"Then maybe you should just listen to us and come home, whore." Kachie's eyes glazed over with tears and Koga growled once more. He was about to retort when Kachie gripped his hand lightly and turned her head downward. Koga looked at her sadly and pulled her into a comforting embrace, hoping it would help.

Her father snarled and was about to grab Koga and rip him away from Kachie, when Ms. Higurashi stepped in once more, "I highly doubt that any court would be too thrilled about you slapping a young girl around while trying to convince her mother to give you your daughter back, I know I don't."

Kachie's mother, now out of her stupor, rolled her eyes at this, "You're not her mother; her mom's dead and in the ground; you've got two brats, raise them instead of other people's kids."

Grandpa had the phone in his hand, "If you don't leave the grounds at once, I'll call the police! You have no right to abuse any of these kids; first Koga and now Hekele! You've got no right being parents!"

Kachie sighed to herself and shed a few tears, she didn't want anyone else to get hurt, or in Koga's and Grandpa's case, killed probably, "I'll...go with you...just stop screaming at and threatening everyone!" Koga looked at Kachie as though she had slapped him across the face, but nuzzled her slightly when she hugged him again and buried her face in his chest. He understood; she wanted to protect everyone if she could. But he was worried about her...

"Kachie dear, are you sure?" Ms. Higurashi asked, hoping that she had heard wrong. Kachie, however shook her head.

"I...want to stay here...but maybe it would be better if I just went with them for now..." she mumbled.

Hekele gave Kachie a hug, "Kachie...are you out of your mind? I'm getting one of those ominous bad feelings..." Kachie hugged her long-time friend back.

"I'll be back...just do your part on this end and I'll be back in no time..." she said. Hekele sighed to herself and released her friend sadly. She looked her in the eye for a moment before relenting and stepping out of the way.

"You see there! She wants to come home!" Kachie's father yelled. Kachie looked at the ground remorsefully and was swept into a big hug by Ms. Higurashi.

"I promise that we'll get you back dear...it may take time...but we'll get you back..." she swore quietly. Kachie nodded and was soon pulled into another hug, this time by Grandpa.

"You may be a demon child half the time my dear...but your parents are far worse...we'll see you back home soon," he promised. It was unlike Grandpa to be so affectionate and caring towards Kachie, in fact, he had only been so once before, but it was comforting to Kachie to know that everyone at the shrine cared for her. She'd be back soon...she hoped...

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Kagome, Hekele, and Koga sat on Kachie's bed as she packed. They all watched her intently but silently, except for Koga, who was writing something on a pad of paper. No one spoke; what was there to say? Kachie's parents were downstairs in the living room with Grandpa and Ms. Higurashi in a very tense silence of their own as well. After a few moments, Hekele spoke up.

"You don't have to leave because he hit me you know...he was probably just so upset that he didn't think first. You shouldn't have to leave..." she said. Kachie sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know why he slapped you...it's so out of character for him...and my mom...neither of them have ever been so cold towards you before...and they know all about your dad and what he did...they know what you went through...that's why I came here to begin with...to help look after you for them...because you were always part of the family...something must have happened since then...I don't know..."

Koga looked up from the pen and pad of paper he was writing on and around the room at everyone, including Souta as he walked in, "What about the well? Can't we sneak Kachie outside and back to our era?" Everyone shook their heads.

"I'd love more than anything to do that Koga...but then Ms. Higurashi and Grandpa would get in trouble. If I were to just disappear, then my parents would involve the police and the two of them could get into serious trouble...I don't want to do that..." she explained. Kagome sighed and stroked Souta's hair as he sat down next to her.

"There has to be something that we can do...what if the court case doesn't go through? What if the judge doesn't grant us custody?" she asked. Kachie sighed as she stared at he now-full suit-case.

"With them the way they're acting now...I don't even want to think about it..." She closed the suitcase with all the happiness of a lamb to the slaughter.

When everyone was back downstairs, Kachie's parents rose from their seats quickly, eager to leave the hostile environment that they had created. They stood by the front door with frowns and sneers on their faces as Kachie approached. The said girl turned around and faced her family, or rather, the family she wanted to be with, to say good-bye.

"I'm gonna miss you guys...but hopefully we'll see each other again soon..." She embraced all of them one more time and told Hekele to put some ice on her cheek before she finally came to Koga. The two just stood there for a moment, facing one another, before Koga grasped her hand firmly and pulled her into a warm, loving embrace.

"We'll get you back Kachie...they won't have you for long...I promise...Aishiteru... for always and forever..." he vowed gallantly. Kachie had tears in her eyes and she squeezed him back.

"Aishiteru Koga...for always and forever...I'll be home soon, so take care of everyone for me ok?" she requested. Koga nodded and grabbed her other hand, so that he was holding both of them. Kachie looked at him oddly as she pulled her hands away, but Koga's expression never changed. She clenched her right hand tightly and put it in her pocket as she picked up her suitcase with the other hand and turned to leave.

She let her tears fall freely as she walked down the shrine steps.

_I hope this isn't the last time..._

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Inuyasha was pacing in Kaede's hut angrily for what seemed like forever, and his audience was getting rather annoyed.

"What's the matter with you _this_ time Inuyasha? You were fine when I saw you earlier..." Shippo asked 'innocently.' Inuyasha hit him in the head.

"Shut up you stupid kit!"

"Waah! I'm telling Kagome on you!"

"Who gives a damn! She can't do anything to me! Who cares about that wench anyway!" he yelled. This resulted in many stares across the room, and Kaede even dropped the ladle she was using to stir her stew.

"Inuyasha...have ye and Kagome had a disagreement?" she asked. Inuyasha gave her a threatening look and left the hut. Kaede sighed.

"I do believe that was a 'yes'...this is most troublesome..." she said, shaking her head. Kagura shook her head.

"It seems as though everyone's being torn apart Kaede, well, almost everyone, Hekele and Sesshoumaru are still together, but Miroku and Sango are separated, Kagome and Inuyasha are going their separate ways, and Kachie may be leaving us soon as well..."

"She already has..." Everyone looked up at the entrance to the hut and found Koga, Kagome, and Hekele walking in slowly. Kachie was nowhere in sight.

"What do you mean Koga?" Kanna asked. No one could miss the pain in his eyes.

"He means her parents all but burst through our front door and demanded her back. She's gone with them...but she didn't really have a choice..." Hekele said spitefully. Sesshoumaru, who was also in the hut, frowned deeply when he saw the giant bruise on Hekele's cheek.

"What happened?" he demanded quietly, motioning to the bruise. Hekele touched her cheek on reflex, but only shook her head.

"It's nothing..." she said, just as quietly, suddenly sounding a bit mousy.

"Kachie's father slapped her when she defended Kachie," Koga said sternly and shortly, feeling anger towards the man all over again and not caring to be curt and brief with everything.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed dangerously as he gently grasped Hekele's chin and turned her face so that he could get a good look at the bruise. "And why weren't you going to tell me this?" he asked her calmly, not feeling anger towards her, only annoyed curiosity.

Hekele sighed, "I was going to wait until a more appropriate time...one _without_ kids sitting three feet away." Sesshoumaru looked down and saw Rin, who was now clinging to Hekele's waist. He nodded slightly as Hekele stroked the little girl's hair and pulled her to him. The trio returned their attention to Koga, who was telling Kaede and the others the story.

"...And he even went so far as to call her a wench and a whore! Just because I was there! Hekele went to defend her and he slapped her, then a whole bunch more arguing happened, and then she just...gave up...she wants Ms. Higurashi to get custody of her still and everything...but she didn't want all the shouting and yelling anymore..." he finished. Kaede sighed.

"I fear it is worse than I first thought. I recently told yer mother, Kagome, that I had a theory as to what was happening, and to my great surprise, she had also come to the same conclusion. We both feel that all of these abnormalities were connected..."

Kanna's eyes lit up, "The fallen angel..." Kaede studied her for a moment before nodding.

"Yes...have ye been thinking this over as well?" she asked. Kanna nodded and Rin caught on.

"Rin and Kanna-chan were following Koharu and saw something slip out of her kimono. It was a crystal...Kanna-chan kept it safe..." Rin stated. Kanna nodded and walked over to a small bundle and unwrapped it, revealing the crystal.

"We thought of the fallen when we figured out what it was...I wrapped it up and brought it here to show Kaede but she wasn't in at the time..." she explained. Kagome stared at the crystal a moment before shaking her head.

"It looks exactly like the crystal demon Inuyasha and I fought..." she muttered Inuyasha's name as she said it, signifying to the group that she was still upset about whatever had happened between the two. Kaede rolled her good eye, but sighed.

"I'm more sure now than ever...this fallen must have a vendetta against ye..." she complained lightly, but it triggered something in Kagome's mind.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Who is your lady, and why is she so weak...does she need help? Is she hurt?" Kagome asked, attempting to earn the woman's trust.**_

"_**My Lady's name is her own at the moment, but you may learn it soon...as for the reason of her weakness...that is also her concern alone and not yours. She needs no help from her enemies..." was the reply received. Kagome tried once more.**_

"_**Why does your lady consider us her enemies...we haven't even met yet," she asked, curious. **_

_**The woman stood up and stretched in a bored manner, "My Lady has met you before in a time apart from this, and you are indeed her enemies...and as for your greeting..." The woman twirled her hands in the air and formed a bow of fallen energy and an arrow. She held it at her side as she finished her speech, "...perhaps I shall demonstrate the power of a Fallen's spawn, ne?"**_

_**End Flashback**_

"She said that she had met us 'in a time apart from this' and that we were her enemies..." Kagome said, awe-struck. She hadn't even remembered that part of the conversation, and apparently, no one else had heard of it either...judging from their surprised expressions anyway...

Hekele looked deep in thought as she spoke, "Let review the facts: One, we have a fallen angel after us; two, she knows us from somewhere; three, we have no idea who the heck she is, let alone why she hates us; four, she may be the root of all the bad stuff that's been happening to us; and five, the energy of fallen purity can seriously hurt us...in light of all the above listed information, what are we going to do?"

Kaede sighed, "We're going to have to get all of the information together for starters, and ye are going to have to find a way to unite yer-selves once more..."

Koga looked at the ground in shame, "That's going to be difficult Kaede...especially with forces that we have no control over at work here..."

Kaede nodded remorsefully, "I know it will Koga...but ye must try...Now, all of ye should go and try to start working things out in yer minds so that ye will be better able to do it in real life...Kagome, child, please stay here...there is something that we must discuss..."

So the hut emptied slowly, the group splitting off into different directions, needing time to think. Kanna went with Shippo to go spy on Miroku and Koharu, while Kagura followed Hekele, Sesshoumaru, and Rin. Koga shuffled off in his own direction, leaving Kagome alone with Kaede.

"What is it you want to talk about Kaede?" she asked the old woman. Kaede sighed.

"A few things child, but first...there is something that I must teach ye...it could very well be the edge ye need to fight this fallen angel..."

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Kachie sighed as she sat in the hotel room with her parents. None of them had spoken in the past two hours. All her father had done was glare at her, and her mother was just...silent. She seemed distracted by something, but Kachie wasn't complaining; the silence suited her just fine.

"Your mother and I are going out; stay here."

She looked up at her father in surprise; she wasn't going with them? You'd think that if they wanted her back so much that they'd at least try to be with her a bit more and try a bit harder, but they were just going to leave her at the hotel and go somewhere?

Her father got in her face when she didn't immediately respond, "Can you hear me wench or are you deaf? Your mother and I are going out!" Kachie backed up on her bed a bit out of reflex and nodded slowly. She had to admit, her father could be very scary; especially without all her friends defending her...

"Don't bother leaving, the hall cameras will see you, and don't call out either; I'll find out about it."

Kachie glared at him, "Why can't I call them? I'll stay put! I came with you willingly, remember?" Her father loomed over her dangerously.

"I told you not to, that's why! I don't want you communicating with those bastards behind our backs!"

Kachie rounded on him, "What the hell happened to you anyway! Why are you acting like this? You've never been this cruel before, and you _hit_ Hekele! You've never been mean to her once, why do you hate her and everyone else all of a sudden!" Her father backhanded her then, hard. Kachie fell to her side and off of the bed he hit her so hard. The tears in her eyes were so full that she couldn't see the shock and despair on her mother's face. Her father bent over her and whispered in her ear.

"You talk to anyone and I'll tell them that your boyfriend did it...who'll they believe, an expelled teenage brat, or her father?" With that, he straightened himself up and walked out the door, his wife trailing him hesitantly.

Kachie pushed herself up off the floor as soon as she was sure that the two were gone. She curled herself up into a ball and started to cry; she didn't know what to do. Her father was right though; the cops would believe him over her in a heartbeat. She couldn't risk getting the Higurashis in trouble, or Koga for that matter. What if someone discovered the well? What if they were able to travel through it too? There was just too much at risk; Kachie would have to keep quiet...

She fished in her pocket and pulled out the folded piece of paper that Koga had given her when he had held her hands. She hadn't dared to open it while her parents were around, for fear that it would be taken away from her; it was probably the same reason that he had snuck it to her in the first place.

She unfolded the paper and smiled softly; the letter took up the whole page...

'_Dear Kachie,_

_I know that this is probably pretty dumb of me in your eyes, but I wanted to give you something to look at if you felt like getting a taste of home. Well, your REAL home anyway. I wanted to give you something to cheer you up...I hate the thought of you being so sad..._

_I love you. I love you more than anything else on this earth, and if I could, I'd whisk you away to where I knew you'd be happy. Part of me feels like I should have, but you didn't want to cause trouble for anyone; I understand. (Ha, me, understand...weird huh?) I sort of came to the same idea after your parents were here for a few minutes...I didn't think it'd be my brightest idea to start a brawl with your dad in the middle of the house...especially with Souta, Ms. H. and Gramps there..._

_I still wish I had though, an annoyingly large part of me wishes I had, but I have faith that things'll work out in the end. This family's pretty tough; they've been through a lot ever since Kagome was first pulled down that well...so I'm pretty sure that they can handle this little dispute..._

_If anything happens, and I mean anything Kachie, let us know. If they hurt you in any way, we're going to need to know about it if we're to get you back here where you belong...ok? It'll get hard, no question, but if they treat you like what happened with Hekele...or me even, tell us...please. I'm not a beggar, but I'm begging here. Anything you can tell us will help us._

_I'm sorry if this was too long or corny or something...but take it to heart ok? Be brave, and do what you need to do to get by. And if worse comes to worse and push comes to shove, get out of there. Stay safe for me, since I can't be there to protect you right now..._

_Aishiteru, I love you. For always and forever, got that Runt? I'll never stop loving you and I'll be here waiting with a huge party when we get you back; I promise._

_Koga'_

Kachie wanted to cry all over again. Sure, Koga had always been the one guy to effectively and bluntly state his feelings fearlessly and with ease, but this was up and over the hill for even him. It made Kachie happy to know that she was so loved by him...

_I'll hold you to that promise Koga...but I can't get out of here yet. No matter how bad it gets...I can't risk anything destroying what we've all come to depend on...the well...without it...everyone would suffer one way or another...and I'm not prepared to be the cause of that..._ she thought to herself sadly. But she wasn't condemning herself to doom either. _If I feel like I'm in mortal danger...like Dad might kill me...I'll be outta here in a heartbeat..._

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"You know something that could help us? What is it Kaede?" Kagome asked eagerly. If there was anything she could do to help her friends, she would do it. Maybe the spell would disappear if the fallen angel were defeated...

Kaede sighed, "Yes child...I know something that may be of use to ye. But I must warn ye that it is a very difficult thing to do. I have never had a need for it, nor did I ever think that anyone ever would, but I learned the fundamentals of it anyway..." Kagome looked at her with a bit of confusion.

"This...thing...you know how to do it, but you can't? How does that work?" she asked curiously. Kaede shook her head.

"I know the fundamentals child...but hopefully ye can master the technique. As we know, the fallen angel can hurt ye in yer demon forms because she possesses some level of purity, correct?" she asked. Kagome nodded.

"However, she is not truly pure, therefore, ye need to be completely pure in order to defeat this fallen angel."

Kagome looked at Kaede with a glimmer of understanding, "I have to be a miko...I have to have my miko powers in order to defeat her...like with Naraku and...Kikyo..."

Kaede nodded, "Yes, that is it exactly. This spell that I am going to try to teach ye will shed yer demonic body for a short amount of time in favor of yer human miko body...this spell allows ye to change forms, hopefully it shall override the spell the Shikon no Tama cast upon ye all..."

Kagome looked deep in thought, "If and when I master this...could it be possible to change the others back and forth if need be?" Kaede took a deep breath.

"Yes...but it would drain ye to an extent that I fear could kill ye if ye aren't careful...ye would only be able to transform one of them at a time, and ye would only have half the time to work with...anymore and the results could hurt ye permanently my dear...ye must be extremely careful..." she warned gravely, willing Kagome to understand.

Kagome did understand, "All right...I get it...let's try this thing out then...what do I have to do?"

Kaede closed her eyes, still wondering if what she was planning to teach Kagome was worth it, "Ye will need to practice in yer own time; until ye can master the transformation into a demon, ye will never master the transformation into a miko...do ye understand?" Kagome nodded and Kaede continued, "Ye must concentrate all of yer miko powers and slowly allow it to engulf ye. The transformation must come from yer very core, from the inside out. Yer powers must be completely focused in yer heart and slowly and evenly pressed outward to yer exterior...Ye must then wish with all yer heart to be a demon and then will it so, all while keeping the flow of power even and undisturbed. Do ye see how it could be difficult?"

Kagome sighed and nodded, "I'll do my best to master it Kaede, and as quickly as possible too..." Kaede looked at her grimly.

"Please child...do be careful..."

Kagome smiled at Kaede good-naturedly, "I will; promise."

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"So...what's up between Kagome and Inuyasha? You were there Hekele..." Kagura asked. Hekele sighed.

"I haven't the slightest clue. One minute the two were talking or something, and the next minute we hear yelling and screaming, and then Inuyasha ran out of there yelling to Kagome that she was a bitch...so...yeah...we haven't the slightest idea..." she explained. Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"Stupidity reigns supreme...unfortunately..." he said. Kagura nodded absently, agreeing. Hekele sighed and began to braid Rin's hair, as the child had plopped herself into Hekele's lap.

"Yes...it does...and that's why it's so easy to trick us and get under our skin...Sometimes it's like we're lab rats in a maze...with people watching us and trying to coax us towards the center, using whatever method at their disposal to accomplish their goal..." she said, confessing her internal thoughts and feelings. Kagura looked at her a moment, along with Sesshoumaru and Rin. It was odd to think about...and yet it made sense in an odd sort of way.

"The question," Kagura said, "is what are we being coaxed to?" Sesshoumaru sighed shortly.

"Can't you think that far ahead Kagura? Thinking along those lines, whatever's leading us is trying to lead us into a trap...and our doom."

Hekele held Rin tightly, "But we can't let ourselves be that vunerable...we've got too much to protect and live for. Death my come eventually...but not now...we're too strong."

Kagura shook her head, "I hope so..."

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Oyu and Kotaro walked through the forest quietly, masking their scents and auras. They did not want to make their presence known until they were completely ready. The pair were heading towards the village of their enemies, finding it imperative that the group of odd friends be struck on home soil for their first battle. It would shake them up, knowing that their unknown foe was aware of where they resided; it was truly a good tactic.

When they reached the outskirts of the village, the two stopped. They allowed their auras to flare and scents to be noticed. Given Oyu's familiar aura, it wouldn't take the group long to find them...

"Kotaro...love?" Oyu asked, looking at him. Kotaro looked down at her affectionately.

"Yes my lady?" he answered. Oyu looked him over critically.

"Allow this one to act...do not stand in this one's way when this one begins to fight...understand?" she ordered gently. Kotaro hesitated, but nodded.

"Yes my lady...but why?"

Lady Oyu took hold of the hood of his cloak and carefully placed it over his head, "Because this one wishes to test this one's strength against them, you cannot interfere...you mustn't go after them...allow this one to stretch this one's power...only step in if this one appears to be in danger..." Once more, Kotaro nodded.

"Of course my love..."

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Koga's head snapped up instinctively when he felt the aura of the fallen angel. It was close...just outside the village...

Without a second thought, he jumped up from where he was sitting by the river and ran back towards the village. Half-way there, Inuyasha's scent reached his nose, and as if on cue, Inuyasha himself appeared from the tree-tops.

"That's the fallen, isn't it mutt?" Koga inquired, though her already knew the answer. Inuyasha only growled lowly in his throat as he picked up speed and passed Koga. Koga mentally cursed.

_I wish I still had those damn shards in my legs...that idiot's gonna get himself killed if he gets there first..._ And just as that thought hit him, he sped up as well, not willing to let Inuyasha get killed over his own stupidity...though here had been a time once where such a thing would give Koga the utmost joy...

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Kagura appeared at Kaede's hut; dragging Kanna by the wrist and Shippo by the tail as she ran, just as Kaede came outside, also having felt the aura of the fallen. She quickly took the younger kids from Kagura and ushered them into the hut for protection. Rin and Koharu were already inside.

Hekele eyed Koharu carefully as she exited the hut, before turning to Kaede, "Can you handle her? Do you think it's safe for Koharu to be with them?" Kaede sighed.

"I am not sure, but ye mustn't worry over that; let me..." the old woman said wisely. Hekele nodded a bit and descended the stairs, rushing towards where Sesshoumaru was standing with Koga, Inuyasha, and, surprisingly, Miroku as well. Kagura followed her.

"Why do you think she's here?" Kagura asked vindictively. Sesshoumaru graced her with an answer.

"A rat cannot be led from point A to point B unless one knows where point A is...she's probably known we were here all along..." he said frankly. Koga nodded to himself before looking around, confused.

"Where's Kagome?" Hekele shook her head.

"She went back to our era; Kaede sent her there to practice something..."

"Good riddance...we don't need _her_..." Inuyasha interrupted hotly. Hekele glared at him for a moment, but he chose to ignore her and took off in the direction of the fallen angel. Not wasting any time, the rest of the group took off after him. They all wanted answers, and maybe now was the time to get some of them...

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Lady Oyu could feel them closing in on her, and all she did was smile. She idly wondered if Inuyasha would be as stupid as she remembered and simply charge at her without thinking as he had done in the future where she knew him. She also wondered if the former monk Miroku would come...or would he be busy in the arms of her pawn Koharu?

"BITCH! WHERE ARE YOU!"

_Ahhh...Inuyasha...so predictable..._ she thought as she removed the hood of her cloak from her head.

Inuyasha appeared seconds later from the trees, sword drawn and aimed at her heart. Oyu only smiled warmly at the predicted 'welcome' and summoned a barrier, repelling his Tetsusaiga with ease. She stretched lazily as the rest of the group came into view. Oyu was a bit disappointed to find that Kagome wasn't there, but she didn't let it show. Miroku was in fact present, as was Hekele, Kagura, Sesshoumaru, and Koga. Kachie wasn't; obviously the spell had finally taken her under its wing. Oyu couldn't help but smile in pure pleasure.

"Well, this one sees that this one's welcome is a bit hostile...and here this one came in peace too..." she teased, her ice blue eyes flashing with amusement.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell is with the 'this one' thing?" Inuyasha yelled. Kagura stared at the woman, but her eye caught movement in the trees behind her.

"Dance of the Dragon!" she yelled, waving her fan in the direction of the movement. The air instantly sliced through the trees, revealing a hooded man behind them. Oyu looked over her shoulder at Kotaro and returned her vision to her uneasy foes.

"This one's...partner, Kotaro...and this one's name is Oyu...Lady Oyu to you." she introduced, her long ebony hair cascading around her as she bowed politely before them.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, "Why are you here?"

Oyu smiled as his friends watched hers and Kotaro's every movement. They were waiting for her to make her move, "This one is here to introduce this one to you. You must have been wondering who this one is..." Hekele stared at her.

"Why do you hate us?" Oyu was surprised at her bluntness; the Hekele she recalled would play mind games and beat around the bush...perhaps it was a trait she developed later in life...

"This one hates all that opposes this one...and that includes the lot of you..." she said vaguely. Hekele growled low in her throat in dissatisfaction as Koga began his own questioning.

"Answer us! What did we ever do to you to make you hate us so much?" he demanded. Lady Oyu stared at him apathetically. _He _was the same...

"This one has already given you this one's reason. You must be deaf."

Inuyasha growled and spoke through his teeth, "_Elaborate_..." Oyu sighed nonchalantly.

"This one was making a movement to improve the world...and you bastards intervened."

Inuyasha's head began spinning, not knowing what she was talking about, but feeling like he should. He raked his mind for that piece of missing information that he knew was vital. It was there, at the front of his mind, but he couldn't quite figure it out...

"_**My Lady has met you before in a time apart from this."**_

Inuyasha's eyes widened in disbelief as he realized what was happening. None of them had thwarted the fallen, Oyu's, plan to redo the world...not yet anyway. She had come from the future...further in the future than Kagome, Hekele, and Kachie. She had come back to stop them from stopping her...

"When?" he asked with a measured patience. Everyone stared at him oddly, everyone except Oyu.

"How quickly the fly ensnares himself within the spider's web. This one was waiting for you to figure it out..." she said with a smile. Inuyasha didn't falter.

"When did we fight you wench? How far ahead did you come from?" he growled. It was then that it clicked. As soon as he said those words, everyone's mind went back to the quote that Kagome had told them, 'a time apart from this;' Oyu was from the future...

"This one comes from five hundred five years from this moment. In five years from the second time you have come to be familiar with, demons live in the open with humans. In that time, you all come to live there for the better opportunities and so on and so forth. You're basically like the vermin this one tried to destroy for this one's perfect world..." she admitted, not caring that they knew of the future.

The faces of her enemies were priceless. The combination of confusion, disbelief, and frustration was quite entertaining. Oyu watched them all with a sort of reserved glee that she wouldn't care to admit to anyone save perhaps Kotaro. She glanced back at her 'partner' for a moment, noting that he had indeed listened to her and kept his distance. She wasn't quite sure, but something seemed a bit..._off_ with him actually following that order...

"What I don't understand," Kagura spoke up, as everyone else seemed to have frozen in thought, "is why a fallen angel would want destruction and world domination. The last time I checked, _you're _the one who screwed up and got yourself on God's bad side, so why are you taking your anger out on the world instead of trying to win his approval back?"

Kotaro's eyes flashed for a second with what looked like confusion, but he quickly hid the expression with one of impassiveness. He glanced at Oyu and found that she had gone rigid, a trait she shared with most people that gives a very good indication that they've been discovered, "Lady Oyu?"

"Pay them no mind Kotaro, they don't know anything other than that they'll see their end soon..." she said coldly. Her stupid creature had let on that she was a fallen angel; Oyu hadn't thought much of it at the time...but it proved to be a problem. It was an err of thought on her part, and she must quickly fix it.

Oyu turned to walk away from the group, but Miroku stepped up now, "Hold it." Oyu turned around and smiled coyly.

"Oh, how rude of this one...here is a gift..." she said thoughtfully, though her face was full of malice. Her eyes began to glow and she made the characters for 'Hell-fire' in the air. She blew life into the spell and the characters caught fire and disappeared. She smiled as she turned around once more.

"You may want to check on your precious village..." she warned, stalking off. Inuyasha made to give chase, but the scent of smoke caught his attention. He turned and saw a giant black cloud of smoke rising from where he knew the village stood. No one needed a second to think.

They ran as fast as they could, fearing the worst. Koga looked at Hekele when he felt the air pressure change, and found her staring, fixated on the village with her piercing blue eyes. He saw them flash and knew the rain would come. Sure enough, almost as soon as the village came into view, Koga and the rest of the group found themselves drenched from the pouring rain that followed.

"I'll get the kids, Koharu, and Kaede out, you guys help the rest of the villagers and get this put out...the rain can't do it on it's own...the fire's too big!" Hekele ordered reflexively as she ran to Kaede's hut. Inuyasha tossed her his fire-rat haori for protection against the flames and ran towards the nearest hut he smelled something besides smoke in.

Hekele darted into the hut, smelling the children and Kaede, but not Koharu. She proceeded cautiously but swiftly to the back of the hut. She felt a presence next to her and turned to find Sesshoumaru.

"You are much too brash," was all he said as he continued on to where he smelt the group. Hekele followed and they soon found them, behind a fallen beam. Sesshoumaru sliced through it with his Tokijin and proceeded almost without stopping motion. The smoke had filled the hut so quickly that they hadn't had a chance to escape before inhaling too much smoke, and then the beam had fallen...their demonic strength had failed them without proper oxygen...they were all either unconscious or semi conscious.

Hekele wrapped Rin and Shippo in Inuyasha's haori and looked around. Kanna was awake, barley, so Hekele grabbed her hand and guided her out of the hut carefully. Sesshoumaru followed with Kaede on his back.

Koga saw them come out of the hut and ran over to help them out, "They ok?" Hekele nodded and laid the kids on the ground by the river, upwind from the smoke. After a few seconds, Rin and Shippo began to stir and wake up. Kanna didn't look so good, so as the younger kids woke up, Hekele gave Kaede and herself some water to help. Sesshoumaru dragged Koga off to help fight the fire then, which was thankfully growing smaller.

"It might be safer for the kids if they weren't here..." Kagura suggested as she appeared with a giant bucket for water for the villagers. Hekele nodded as her friend filled it.

"It may make things easier too...I think I'll take them to the well...Mom'll take care of them for us while we try to put out the village..." she said as she handed Rin and Shippo some water to help soothe their parched throats. Kanna looked thoughtful.

"Could we go to Sango's village instead? She and Kohaku need to know what's happened...and maybe they can even help..." she suggested. Her voiced croaked a bit and it hurt to talk. Hekele and Kagura looked apprehensive about letting the children go so far on their own with Oyu on the loose, but Kaede came to the children's aid.

"Sango and Kohaku do indeed need to know what's happening, especially with what we've learned of Koharu. Sango needs to know what's happening above all..." she said wisely. Hekele looked at Kagura hopefully and Kagura took out one of the feathers from her hair and made it grow.

Hekele gently sat Rin and Shippo in the back of the feather as Kanna carefully got into the front for steering purposes. "Ok...you three be careful...don't stop for any reason at all until you reach the village...is that clear? And if you sense Oyu...head to wherever is closer as fast as possible...do you understand?" she asked. The three nodded their heads and Hekele allowed them to leave. They bid Kaede, Kagura, and herself farewell and made haste to Sango's village.

"They'll be fine...ye needn't worry about them..." Kaede said as Kagura headed towards the village with the water; though with Hekele's rain falling as hard as it was, it was almost unnecessary. Hekele herself gave Kaede some more water.

"Where's Koharu? She wasn't in the hut..." she asked. Kaede sighed.

"I do not know; she left the hut a few moments before the fire..." she admitted. Hekele gave a sigh of her own as she stood up.

"I'm going to go help with the fire...want me to take you to the village children? It may be a comfort for them and everyone else to know that you're all right..." she stated quietly. Kaede nodded and Hekele helped her to her feet.

"Thank ye child...but make sure none of ye overwork yerselves...I fear the village is a lost cause..." she admitted sorrowfully. Hekele hated to admit it, but the old woman was probably right...

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Kachie sighed as she lay on her bed. Her parents still weren't back. Not that she minded, but it was still an odd fact. Where did they have to go to? The last time she checked, they didn't know Japanese...and not ALL Japanese people knew English either...so...

_Maybe their arranging for our flight back to the States...well, mine at least...they've probably got round trip tickets..._ she thought to herself.

Kachie sighed once more and went to one of her suitcases and took out her jewelry box; she felt like looking at the pendant that Koga had gotten her for Valentine's Day. When she opened the secret compartment, she discovered that it was still glowing...even after all the time that had passed.

_Wait...it's brighter that it was at home and in Kaede's village...that means...I'm closer maybe? I should check this out...but...what if I get caught? Dad could be bluffing...but I don't want to risk it right now...maybe...after I find out when we're leaving...then I'll leave the night before and get back in the morning...that way no one else would get in trouble...cuz either I'd get back before they even woke up or right before they leave for the flight...this...might work..._ she thought strategically. She would stay awake until her parents got back and would listen in on their conversations when they thought she was sleeping...it ought to at least give her a good clue as to what they were up too...

_Here's to good luck..._

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Kotaro lay in his bed dejectedly. Oyu was a fallen angel? Had the spell he had cast a few years ago actually worked? Why had she not told him? Why had she _lied_ to him?

"Kotaro? Love? What is wrong?" Oyu asked as she walked into his room. She crawled onto his bed and lay next to him, knowing full well what was wrong with him and trying to coax him into forgetting about it.

"Lady Oyu...why didn't you ever tell me that you were a fallen angel? _My_ fallen angel?" he asked accusingly, though softly. Oyu stiffened, not knowing how to answer him satisfactorily.

"This one did not want to be controlled..." she tried, thought she sounded quite honest. Kotaro turned to face her.

"You have always said that you could trust me, and even after you performed all that magic, never have I thrown you to society, so why would I especially if I knew that you were the angel I had summoned?" he retorted, this time a bit darkly. Oyu tried to remain clam, but her temper was on the rise as well.

"This one did not think of it! This one is not all powerful and all seeing!"

"Bull-shit...after all I've seen you do, I know better than to buy that Oyu...why didn't you tell me?" he continued. Oyu tried to brush her fingers through his hair but he pulled away from her ans stood up. When she didn't answer him he left without saying anything. He felt betrayed.

Oyu herself narrowed her eyes almost into slits as she watched him stalk off. _Damn...this one was not prepared for this blunder_..._now this one will have to move this one's plans ahead of schedule if this one wants to succeed...this one's control and loyalty of Kotaro is slipping quickly now that this one's secret has been revealed to him...it is good that this one is almost ready...this one needs to only kill a few minor demons for this one's catalyst to be full enough for this one to completely obliterate those damn idiots..._

Oyu gathered her wits carefully; she had to play things smoothly and carefully if she wanted for Kotaro to be under her power long enough for her to unleash the stored power within him. All she needed was full access to that power, and the pathetic group of _idiots_ who were in her way would be destroyed. She knew that she could do it...and she could wipe out the world at the same time too...

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**Me-** Ta -frickin'-da! I have finally finished! Now, as a reward, I shall begin to write my latest _Tokyo Mew Mew_ chapter...since I have been sorely neglecting it in favor of my _Inuyasha _fic fans...

**Kachie-** It's ok Hekele, we understand that school has been pretty rough on you, what with Science Club, volleyball conditioning starting today, newspaper class, Biology AND Chemistry, and your evil Geometry test that was today...Oh! And we must not forget that you were working on our winning homecoming float for three weeks and preparing for the football game, dance, and parade...

**Me-** And here my dad says I'm stupid and lazy...let's see him get four A's and two B's in anything BUT being an asshole...

**Kachie-** Calm down...you get wound up too quickly...

**Me-** I think I take on too much for my own good...and I still have to get over my fear of driving with my dad...which is hard because when I try to tell him to let me get used to driving with him in familiar, country, surroundings, and _then_ work my way up to driving on the expressway and city driving with him, he goes off into a tangent and calls me, (any guesses?) Lazy and stupid! I am TRYING to make the first move towards being comfortable around him and he just gets pissed off...

**Kachie-** Remember what I said about calming down? The stress factor is getting pretty high...

**Me-** My hair is beginning to fall out because of stress...I get clumps of it out of my head whenever I bathe or even brush it...it's steadily getting worse too...pretty soon people will start thinking that I'm a cancer patient...damn it...

**Kachie-** Ok everyone, we need to cheer Hekele up! I'll go draw her a picture, (as soon as my right arm stops throbbing,) and you can review!

**Me-** Yes, Kachie is having a major issue, which is beginning to get better, with her right arm, and it hurts her to write or draw with it...so give her hugs, kudos, and lots and lots of tuna...Kachie loves tuna...and review if you feel like it...


	13. Sweet Crushes and Crushing News

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hi guys! I'm back! And here's my Kohaku and Kanna chapter! Sorry my _Tokyo Mew Mew_ chapter took so much time up, but I was having brain issues...meaning it picked up and left a few times. Also, I've been attempting to figure out the best way for the next big problem, meaning mine apparently, (what, you guys didn't think that Hekele'd just get nightmares throughout the whole story did you?)

I was actually, with my original plan, going to have to start my end of the plot in this chapter and putting some of it in the next chapter so that it could be resolved in the next Hekele/Sess chapter after that, and thus destroying the purpose of this special Sango/Miroku helper chapter entirely. That made me mad. But I was stuck on the idea. So, I called our favorite real person, Kachie. Kachie gave me a different idea, (as I was lacking inspiration,) and completely and utterly changed the Hekele/Sess 'couple separation problem.' In doing so, she gave me a slightly more inspired plot, saved this chapter, saved the next chapter, and gave me a subtle way to include her character in the story without having to break the plot every now and then just to show you that she's still there. In short: YOU ALL OWE KACHIE TUNA, SHRIMP, STRAWBERRY MILK, **_AND _**TONS OF REVERSE POCKY...SHE SAVED MY STORY! KUDOS AND TONS OF LOVE FOR KACHIE!

ANYWAY, I have been obsessed with an Inuyasha music video to My Chemical Romance's song, 'Helena'. This entire video is dedicated to the fourth Inuyasha movie: Fire on the Mystic Island. It has not been released in the US as of yet. I don't care. I wants it. I wants it badly. Does anyone know where I can download it, and/or buy it cheaply online, with English subtitles? Please? Any info?

I am currently obsessed with 'Helena', (do you know how many times my fingers have typed 'Hekele' when trying to type 'Helena'? Three times in the last minute...damn...) So, if it effects my writing, sorry...unless it's better...then yay! The song is currently and will be on repeat for quite a while...so...yea...

OK then! Here is your chappie!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing...so there! (gives Kachie credit for saving chappie!)

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**Sweet Crushes and Crushing News**

Kanna looked behind her at Rin and Shippo; both looked like they could fall asleep at any minute. Sango and Kohaku's village was still a ways off, and she didn't want them to accidently fall off of Kagura's feather...

"Stay awake you guys...I may be able to steer this thing a bit and land it, but I'm no expert...if you fall, you might just be on your own..." she informed, still being drenched from Hekele's hard rain. She supposed that since Hekele still didn't have very much control over her powers, her storm could very well be this spread out, and heavy.

At any rate, Shippo and Rin seemed more awake after her falling comment...

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Kohaku paused for a moment in what he was doing. Although the sudden rain outside hadn't subsided any, he could have sworn that he smelled Kanna, Rin, and Shippo in the distance. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Sango entering the room.

"Do you smell them too?" he asked her. Sango nodded.

"I do...and if we can smell it over _this_ rain...they must be close..." she said. Kohaku looked at her critically; she hadn't been doing any better at all. He had wanted to head back to Kaede's village to get this thing with Miroku sorted out, as Sango had wanted, but she only seemed to be getting weaker, and not better as he would have hoped. He was worried for his Aneue...

"Kohaku-kun! Sango-san? Are you there!" came Kanna's voice from outside. Kohaku and Sango looked at each other a moment in alarm at her tone before rushing out the door.

Outside, they found the three children getting off of one of Kagura's feathers. They looked tired...and they smelled faintly of smoke... Sango carefully picked up Rin and Shippo and proceeded back to the hut quickly. Kohaku himself grabbed Kanna's wrist before she could greet him and pulled her into the hut as well. Seeing that Sango had already gotten Rin and Shippo a warm blanket each, Kohaku took another and wrapped it around Kanna's shoulders.

"What happened? What are you three doing here? Are you all right?" Sango asked worriedly. Kanna sat next to the fire with Rin and Shippo and felt her eyes begin to droop. She was getting very tired...

"They met the fallen...she set fire to the village..." she mumbled. Sango's eyes widened.

"Is everyone safe?" she asked, her voice trembling as she thought of a certain former monk...

Rin nodded, "Yea...everyone's ok...they thought it would be safer if we went away from the village...and we knew that you and Kohaku-san needed to know, Sango-san...so we came here..." Shippo was already asleep, and so only snored softly in confirmation.

Sango stood up briskly and headed for the door, "I've got to go help with the village...or...something..." Kanna gripped her kimono as she walked past.

"Things have happened since you've been gone Sango-san...Kagome-san and Inuyasha-san aren't speaking...and Kachie-san's been taken away by her parents...come to think of it...neither of them know about the fire either..." she realized. Sango paused and bit her lip.

"I'll go first to Kagome then..." she said. Kanna shook her head.

"The fire was almost under control...when we left...and someone would have hopefully gone to Kagome-san already...Kaede-sama said that the village was a lost cause..." she finished. Sango sighed.

"You would have me stay here then?" she asked. Kanna nodded.

"Please? Only for the night so that you can rest up...there's more to tell...but..." Sango cut the girl off when she touched her finger to her lips and motioned to Rin, who had also fallen asleep.

"You should get some rest too Kanna...we'll talk more later...ok? Right now we need to get you three rested up, and hopefully tomorrow, washed up...you're covered in ash...wet, mucky ash...but ash..." she proclaimed quietly. She turned to her brother, who had been watching all of this from behind Sango.

"Kohaku...get our blankets; we'll stay out here with them...I'll get pillows for everyone..." she commanded. Kohaku jumped into action and went into the other room to retrieve the blankets as Sango fetched the pillows.

When they both returned, Kanna had fallen asleep as well.

"Poor things...it's a wonder they stayed awake _this _long...I'd be out like a light after that..." Sango admitted. Kohaku nodded and curled up a few feet away from Kanna, deciding that he should be there if she woke up and needed anything. He didn't want anyone to have to wake up Sango...she needed her rest as much as Kanna, Shippo, and Rin themselves did...

"Good night Aneue...get some sleep ok?" he said as he closed his eyes. Sango nodded slightly as she too began to fall into the realm of unconscious thought. Maybe sleep would make her of more use the next day...

"Good night Kohaku..."

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Kagome yipped in triumph as she jumped down the well to the past. She had done it. She had transformed, not once, but twice she had managed to do it. She couldn't wait to tell Kaede.

_Staying up all night practicing has me drained as all get out and tired as hell, but it is sooo worth it! I can't believe It only took me a night! Took ten hours for the first transformation...but only a few minutes for the second! Yes! I rock! _She mentally cheered for herself as she emerged from the well, bent on running straight to Kaede's hut and telling the old woman. She would be so proud...worried probably...but proud nonetheless.

Kagome stopped suddenly as her demonic senses kicked in. She smelled smoke...from the direction of the village. She looked to the trees and saw a small stack of it rising, but wasn't fooled; it was much larger than it should have been.

As she raced through the forest, the scent became more potent, and it worried her. She could also smell her friends, and thankfully they all seemed to be in one piece. She could feel the remnants of Hekele's aura in the air, and knew that she had called upon her powers to help douse the fire Kagome was now positive had taken place.

When she emerged from the trees, she saw the village. It was completely in ruins; burnt almost to the ground. After looking around for a moment, Kagome found her friends all resting a ways away from the ruined village. The villagers themselves were also resting, though a few of the children were playing by the river. Kagome walked up to the group of tired demons, (and Kaede,) with concern written on her face.

"What happened here? Are you all right?" she asked them as she knelt in front of them. Kaede sighed and nodded.

"Yes child...we are all right...just extremely tired..." she said. Kagura nodded and glanced at Hekele, who was resting against Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"I can't believe all that rain didn't do more...we managed to save a few huts...but that's it. Damn fire took all night..." she muttered. Hekele nodded.

"We met up with the fallen angel, Oyu; she set the fire as a sweet parting gift..." she growled, just as tired as he friends. Kagome sighed.

"Is there anything I can do? Is anyone injured? I have some stuff in my pack..." she offered, but was cut off by Inuyasha.

"Shut it wench, no one needs _your _help!" he snapped, not looking at her. Everyone stared at him, shocked at his tone. Kagome growled threateningly, shocking them once more.

"I was going to help you too you stupid ingrate! I was _trying _to make up!" she yelled. Inuyasha's ears twitched, signifying that he heard her, but remained with his back against her. Everything was quiet for a moment, no one daring to anger either of the two further for fear of an extreme headache to go along with their fatigue.

Kagome finally turned back to Kaede, "Well, I might as well offer a bit of good news; I did it." Kaede's eyes widened a bit.

"Ye managed the transformation? So soon? Child, ye must be as tired as we! The energy required for that must have been immense!" she said, looking Kagome over. The girl smiled at the woman, ignoring the questioning looks from her friends.

"I am tired...It took ten hours for me to do it the first time, but the second time only took a few minutes..." Kaede cut her off with a sharp look.

"Child, I warned ye that it could kill ye if ye used too much energy; ye say ye were at it for that long, _and _managed two transformations? Ye are lucky that ye are still alive, let alone conscious!" she chided worriedly. Kagome's eyes flickered for a second, and she growled at the woman a bit, startling everyone, including Inuyasha, (whose only movement was an ear twitch...and slight turn of the head.)

"Kaede, I'm fine. I think I know my own limits; don't tell me what I can and can't do! I'm _not _weak!" she exploded. Kagome stood up and was about to leave when the group heard a voice.

"Oh dear...the kids were right...it's all ruined..."

Kaede sighed gratefully at the distraction, "Sango...thank goodness ye are here...the children safely made it to ye I take it." Sango nodded as she looked at the tired woman.

"I left them with Kohaku at the village, they were still sleeping when I set off this morning...is everyone ok?" she asked, surveying the group. They all nodded, but one look at Sango and they could tell that she was another story. Her face was quite pale, her eyes had dark circles under them, and she even appeared a bit thinner...

"Lady Sango...how are you fairing?" Miroku asked. The group tensed as Sango looked over to him and Koharu, who was sleeping next to his seated figure. Her eyes dulled a bit, but nothing more.

"I'm fine."

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"I can't believe she left us here! I mean, I knew she would leave for the village today and all, but I figured she'd at least tell us she was leaving!" Kohaku ranted. Kanna yawned as she looked over at Shippo and Rin; both were starting to wake up due to Kohaku's volume.

"Kohaku-kun...she was probably just worried. I'm sure you would have done the same thing if you weren't so busy trying to look after her..." she said quietly. Kohaku sighed and nodded.

"True...but you saw her...I'm worried. This whole thing with Miroku has gotten the better of her...I've never seen her this frail..." he said, plopping down next to Kanna. The demon girl offered him a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah...I saw her...but to be fair to Miroku...we think we've figured out what's going on," she admitted. Kohaku looked at her.

"Talk, what the hell is up with him?" Kohaku all but demanded. Kanna rolled her eyes. It was sweet how protective he was over his older sister, but still...he didn't need to snap at her...

"...We think that it has to do with the fallen angel. Rin-chan, Kagura-san, Shippo-san, and I were spying on Koharu, and we saw a crystal fall from her kimono. We ended up showing it to everyone, and Kagome-san said it looked just like the crystal woman she and Inuyasha-san fought. And Miroku-sama doesn't even remember _ever _loving Sango-san...it's like his memory was erased of his feelings up until this point...we think he may be under a spell..." she explained. Kohaku nodded a bit, quite relived.

"I'm glad it's a spell..." he said. Kanna looked at him curiously.

"Why?"

Kohaku sighed, "Because...she still loves him, and wants to try to work things out with him, and maybe if Sango knows it's a spell...she'll be able to handle things better...she won't be so broken..." Kanna smiled mischievously.

"And? What _else _is there?"

Kohaku snorted, "_And_, I'm not obligated to kick his formerly holy ass."

Kanna smirked, "There you go...now isn't it better to be honest Kohaku-kun?"

"I was being honest! I'm worried about Sango!"

Kanna rolled her eyes, "_And_ you were worried about getting beat if you picked a fight with Miroku-sama on Sango-san's behalf...you're such a chicken..."

"Am not!"

"Are too..."

"Am not!"

"Be quiet...Rin and Shippo-san are still sleeping...use your indoor voices...or Rin will have to make it rain on you..." Rin mumbled dangerously as she rolled over, pulling her blanket over her head to hide from the sunlight. Kanna and Kohaku blushed.

They spoke in unison, "Sorry..."

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It took an hour more, but Rin and Shippo eventually got out of bed. The two tykes were immediately contemplating breakfast, while the older two had thought ahead and had begun to prepare some.

The four sat around in a circle eating their rice quietly. They were all wondering how Sango was faring with Miroku, and how the rest of their friends were doing as well. The fire had most likely destroyed the village, and the children idly wondered what the villagers would do until they could re-build in the spring.

"Maybe they could stay here. I mean, I know Sango wouldn't mind, and we've gotten a few more huts re-built. We could at least take in some of them..." Kohaku said. Kanna nodded.

"It's too bad they have to wait for the spring for the ground to unfreeze...demons may be able to dig hole for posts in this cold, but those villagers certainly can't..." she admitted.

Rin set her empty bowl down and sighed, "Rin is going to go look around...is that ok? Rin hasn't seen the village yet..." Shippo followed suit.

"Me neither! Can we go?" he pleaded. Kohaku rolled his eyes.

"Sure, just be careful around some of the hut on the south side of the village, we haven't worked on them at all yet, and they could collapse," he warned. The two kids nodded and bounded out of the hut, needing something to do.

Kanna smiled in their direction, "I swear, those two are too curious for their own good...one of these days, curiosity will kill the cat..." Kohaku grinned.

"Neither are cat demons though..."

"Oh shut-up...it's just an expression..." Kanna muttered, annoyed. Kohaku smirked at her but let it go. He sat there silently for a moment before standing up.

"Where're you going?" Kanna asked. Kohaku shrugged and left the room. He returned a moment later with two objects in his hand.

"Tell me what you think of these...I found them a few days ago..." he said, handing them to her. Kanna looked at the objects curiously.

"This is Sango-san's necklace...but it looks older..." she began, examining the necklace, "And this vial certainly couldn't have been made in this era...not with all this detail..."

Kohaku nodded, "That's what I thought too. And when I saw the necklace, I looked over at Sango, only to find her still wearing hers...and that's when I found the vial..." Kanna opened the vial carefully and sniffed it. She scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"It smells gross...definitely not real water like it appears...Do you think that perhaps Koharu dropped it while she was here?" she questioned.

"I don't know...it doesn't smell like it belongs to her...and what would she be doing with Sango's necklace? An _old_ version of Sango's necklace especially?" he reasoned. Kanna nodded.

_A time apart from this_.

Kanna's eyes widened slightly, and she thanked kami that she had been listening to Kagome the evening before, "'A time apart from this,' that's where the crystal woman said that The fallen angel knew us from...she doesn't mean the other era either...because we don't know anyone else there...she's from the future! That would explain the necklace and the vial...though...not how they got _here_..."

"I can answer that for you..." Kohaku and Kanna snapped their heads at the new voice. It was a man, and he was standing in the doorway of the hut. Kohaku bared his fangs a bit and moved in front of Kanna protectively. The man in the doorway sighed.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I promise. I only came here to talk," he said, not moving an inch. It was almost as if he was waiting to be invited inside. Kohaku growled at him low in his throat.

"Who are you? Why are you masking your scent?" he questioned. Ice formed around his fists in warning. He did not like being taken by surprise by a stranger; it was deadly.

The man made no movement in response to the threat, but did unmask his scent, "My name is Kotaro, and I'm here to help you get your friend back to normal."

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Rubble was everywhere. It seemed that no matter how much of it the group helped the villagers clear, twice as much seemed to take its place. And although no such thing was possible, it was quite frustrating. Kagome had cooled down quite a bit from her earlier tantrum and had decided to stay and assist the group, despite all of Inuyasha's protests. He was still quite mad at her, and she him, but neither would say what had caused the huge rift between them.

Sango was helping the group as well. But to everyone's disappointment; she seemed to be performing her tasks slower than usual, and she looked ill as well. Everyone, save Miroku, knew what was wrong with her, and they were all concerned. A broken heart was difficult to nurse, and the longer Sango stayed in the presence of Miroku and Koharu, the more her heart shattered. She was fading fast, both in spirit and in body, and no one knew what to do to help her.

"Sango...why don't ye lie down? Ye are so pale...have ye not been sleeping?" Kaede asked, concerned for the young demoness. Sango shook her away gently.

"I'm fine Lady Kaede...but I didn't sleep well last night..." she said, hoping to pacify the elder woman's worry. She did not.

"Child, I have seen many a thing in my long life, and I know for a fact that yer condition did not come from one sleepless night...If my home weren't in ruins right now, I'd force ye to stay and rest for a few days..." she knowingly admonished. Hekele nodded as she helped a villager with a broken beam.

"She's right you know...you look like the living dead...rest would do you some good..." she stated. Sango sighed.

"I'm fine, I promise..." she repeated.

"You do not look fine, Lady Sango. You look as though you have been battling your inner demons and are slowly failing. Rest yourself so that you can defeat them instead," Miroku said. Sango, along with the rest of the group, froze at this. It was the first time that Miroku had that certain caring in his voice that he normally reserved for only Sango. Koharu, it seemed, noticed this as well, and glared. But no one paid attention to her; instead they kept their senses trained on Sango, and how she would respond.

"...Thank you Miroku...I think I'll heed your advice..." she said, a small ring to her voice. It was at that moment that the group knew that there was hope. Miroku was still himself inside, even if he didn't know something was wrong with him, and Sango still had her spark. Both were very subtle, but they were there, and as long as they were there, then perhaps Sango could hold on long enough for the group to figure out a way to get Miroku back to normal.

As the group watched Sango walk away to get some rest, they all smiled softly. It was nice to see the slight bounce in her step return, even if for only those few minutes. Even while under a spell, and completely out of his senses, Miroku could still say and do one or two things right...

And as soon as the group could get him away from Koharu, they planned on fixing this issue for good. Koharu had to know how to cure Miroku, and the gang had no intention of going easy on her when they got the chance to question her about it...

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The man, Kotaro's, scent was confusing. It was obviously human. But it held the same properties as the fallen angel's. It was as if...

"You're her mate aren't you?" Kanna asked from behind Kohaku. Kotaro actually smiled.

"Heh...I suppose a creature of spirit would say that wouldn't they? And you wondered why I concealed my scent..." he said. Kohaku continued to glare at him, refusing to allow Kotaro's calm demeanor to catch him off guard.

"Demons are not creatures of spirit..." he replied, and Kotaro's smile only widened.

"But of course you are! Just as angels are creatures of spirit, so are demons, they only represent the evil side of a person instead of the good side."

"We aren't evil, and we're demons!" Kanna exclaimed, hurt but not meaning to be at the remark.

Kotaro's smile vanished into a look of compassion, "No, you aren't; you aren't at all what we humans are brought up to believe. I've seen that in you and the rest of your companions...you only represent evil, just as darkness represents evil. But as you've seen, even angels and light can become evil as well..."

Kanna didn't miss how his voice seemed to trail off at the end, as if in despair. She felt stirred, but said nothing to betray it, "What are you talking about?"

Kotaro sighed, "Darkness isn't evil on it's own, but it is the easiest thing for evil to manipulate and control; it can become evil. Light, on the other hand, is supposedly good, and nothing else, yet if the light is weak enough, tainted enough, it too can become evil."

Kohaku backed closer to Kanna, "And why are you sharing this information with us, exactly?" Kotaro smiled softly once more.

"Summoning a fallen angel to guide me wasn't exactly my brightest idea, was it? Fallen...she's that way for a reason...I began to see that less than a year ago, but I didn't even know she was fallen until yesterday when your friends mentioned it. Stupid huh? I summoned her for guidance, and didn't even know her when I saw her...and she never revealed herself to me either...I suppose I deserved it for being so stupid..." he rambled. Kanna and Kohaku didn't know what to think. His scent told them that he was being honest, but he was the enemy, wasn't he? He was obviously in on everything with the fallen...and yet he seemed to regret it? What to do? What to think?

Kotaro continued, more on track this time, "I still cannot go against her, however, despite the fact that she's evil. I still love her, but there is a wrong that I must make right, here and now, and that is why I have come to you two. I wish to tell you why I left you those items to find."

Kohaku shifted his position slightly, a little less on edge, but still in front of Kanna protectively, "What do you mean? _You _left these here? When? _Why_?"

Kotaro looked at the ground, "I left them the night that Koharu came to you. You were all asleep. The vial is full of the antidote for Miroku...and it'll work on Koharu as well. The necklace is as you've suspected, from the future, _my _time."

Kanna could almost feel his remorse; what had he done? "Why did you have it? Sango's necklace I mean..." Kotaro clenched his fists tightly at his sides. Should he tell them?

Yes...he needed them to understand, needed _someone _to understand, "...Because I did something that I'll forever regret...that's why I'm only helping your sister and Miroku, Kohaku, because it was something that I did to you all that I regret so much..."

Kohaku looked at him intently, "What did you do?" Kotaro took a noticeably deep breath.

"I...I killed her..." he mumbled, but both the children could hear him. Kohaku's eyes flashed red and Kanna gripped his arm, willing him not to attack. Kohaku's breath was harsh and angry; he had the urge to rip Kotaro to pieces. How dare he have the nerve to even speak to them now! He had _killed_ Sango.

"Kohaku, you have every right to hate me, by all means do, I deserve it. But hate me more when I finish speaking. Oyu, the fallen, bid me to do it, and I agreed. No spell, nothing. Just me and her, and I agreed. You and all of your companions will live in the future, and that is where we all will meet. Sango was alone at the time; Miroku was out grocery shopping at the time. Your sister was eight months pregnant...and not at all able to defend herself. Never have I felt so evil, and I doubt nothing I do could ever make me feel any worse, unless I didn't help you now. I want you to stop Oyu, but I cannot assist you further than this: Give Miroku the potion, and what's left to Koharu, and both will return to normal. And know that when I know Oyu's true name, I'll reveal it to you, for no fallen has ever had the name she carries..."

Kohaku couldn't help the rage in his heart at what Kotaro had confided in him. He felt Kanna's hand tighten its hold on his arm, and took comfort in it, "Why should we trust you?"

Kotaro sized the boy up, and smiled once again, "You're a brave boy, even braver than you realize. In the future, you are an incredible fighter. You are no different now, you only have yet to release the courage channeled by your anger towards me. When the final fight comes around, I want you to be the one to end my life. Yours and Miroku's lives are the ones I damaged most, but you've always felt guilt for some reason that none of us know except for you; that is why I must fight you. That is why you must be the one to defeat me, and you will..."

With that said, Kotaro vanished into the air, as though he had never been there to begin with. He left Kanna and Kohaku in a small state of shock, still standing in place. After a moment, Kohaku finally took a deep breath and straightened his posture, still looking at the door for a moment before he turned to Kanna.

"...Thanks..." he mumbled, looking away. Kanna bit her lip and removed her hand from his arm. She cocked her head so that she could still peer into his face.

"Are you all right Kohaku-kun? Don't be sad...it hasn't happened yet...we can prevent it now..." she consoled. Kohaku sighed and looked back at her.

"I don't know what to do...do we trust him...or not?" he asked. Kanna shrugged slightly.

"Maybe we should go back to the village and tell Kaede...she'd know what to do..." she suggested. Kohaku sighed.

"Yeah...you're right...I think we'll do that..." he said, looking at the ground. Kanna pondered for a moment, but then stood up on her toes and hugged him tightly around the neck, surprising him greatly. After a moment, he returned the embrace, needing the strength it offered him.

"Thank you for protecting me...it was sweet Kohaku-kun...and don't worry...we'll fix this..." Kanna told him. Kohaku nodded.

"Kanna-chan! Kohaku-san? What is that scent? Are you two ok?" Rin could be heard yelling as she and Shippo approached the hut, apparently smelling Kotaro.

Kohaku blushed and released Kanna, who in turn released him as well. Both avoided each other's gaze as blush steadily crept onto their cheeks. Rin and Shippo rounded the corner and ran into the hut, only to find the two blushing pre-teens staring at the floor rather attentively.

"What is that scent? It is like the fallen's..." Rin asked. Shippo nodded.

"I remember it from when everyone went to go fight her...she wasn't here was she?" he asked, looking around. Kohaku shook his head.

"No...but a friend of hers was...come on, we need to go back to the village...now."

Kanna nodded, "He's right, there's no time to lose."

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Oyu turned as Kotaro entered their 'home' and sighed, "Have you yet decided to forgive me love?" She didn't not truly care, of course, whether he forgave her or not, but only if her plans were to survive.

Kotaro looked her firmly in the eye, "Tell me your real name; how am I to forgive one whose name I do not know?" Oyu sized him up, thinking. Did it truly matter if he knew now? No, it didn't, as he already knew that she was fallen.

"Ariel. My true name is Ariel," she answered. Kotaro sighed, and nodded.

"I believe that I can forgive a woman whose name is Ariel, and who is fallen..." he said, devoid of his usual emotion.

Oyu smiled affectionately, sometimes his naivety was quite endearing. Too bad he would soon be put to his ultimate use. In near a week's time should she be strong enough to use him to his fullest potential. She walked over to him slowly and then lightly placed her lips on his own, as if sealing both their deal and his fate. Soon she would see just how strong he really was.

Kotaro returned her kiss half-heartedly, not quite knowing whether or not he should feel guilt at the way he was tricking her. Did she truly feel remorse for deceiving him? Or was she still playing at her games?

_Is anything we have real? _Or _am I the world's dumbest pawn?_

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**Me-** Well? Was that quicker than usual or what?

**Kachie-** Well, for you having two stories it's quicker than usual...

**Me-**(puffs out chest) Woot! I am so proud of this chapter! Kanna and Kohaku have fluff at the end! Miroku is still in there somewhere! And Sango still has a bit of will to live despite the way the spell is effecting her emotions! Woot! Are you all happy?

**Kachie-** I am! I am!

**Me-** Next is Sango and Miroku, (the cure chapter,) and then me and Sess, and then Kags and Inu...and then the next big chappie! (In which another plot twist shall reveal itself!) Oh, and don't you guys forget...THANK KACHIE!

**Kachie-** Awe...you don't have to do that...

**Me-**(grabs duct tape and shuts Kachie up) Don't pay any attention to her! Shower her in love and thanks for all her ideas! They saved my story! Woot!

**Kachie-** Mrrphh! Mrrrhhh! Mmph!

**Me-** She likes tuna, reverse pocky, strawberry milk, shrimp...

**Kachie-** Mmmph!

**Me-**(rips off duct tape) What is it now?

**Kachie-** I was trying to tell them to review!

**Me-**(replaces duct tape) That's right! Review please!

P.S. Lightning Assassin is a buddy of mine on here, and he just so happens to have a story up! It's a spin off of my story! He's so sweet! The problem is this: He only has two reviews for his first chapter. So, while he's working on chapter two, I promised to cheer him up by advertising for him! His story is called: An Old Friend And A New Foe. Check it out! Not much has happened yet, since it's only the first chapter, so there's no reason not to jump on board! Both of his reviews are good ones, (one sent by me,) so the guy's got some decent credentials...(if I do say so myself!) Check it out! You'll like it! And I will dedicate a song fic to the first person he tells me came over to read his story as a result of this ad...got it! So read and review..._his _story! (Mine too...but this isn't my ad now is it?)


	14. Return to Yourself Return to Me too

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hey guys! Well, my loyal reviewer and online friend, Suaru, officially earned herself a song-fic! Lightning Assassin's reviews have informed me that she read his story and apparently liked it too! So, my darling Suaru, what pairing from this story would you like a song-fic to? Also, give me a list of three songs to choose from...and the type of fic you want, (romance, comedy, drama, etc...) and I will write it right away for you! I promise!

Ok then! We have arrived at the Sango/Miroku cure chapter! Woot on the highest! A good portion of this chapter was written while listening to 'Frozen' by Madonna. Now, strictly speaking, I am NOT a Madonna fan...but this song really seemed to connect with Miroku and Sango in this chapter. In fact, I think it connects so well that you all ought to listen to it later on in the chapter...if you can that is...if not...I think I can provide the proper means for you...(is seem cackling evilly) I haven't added too many songs into these chapters like in my last story have I? Well! Here you guys go!

Hear's a good question: How do you guys feel about Kotaro turning on Oyu? Yay or Nay? I thought it was a cool plot twist...but no one told me what they thought...so I am kind of in the dark over here...thoughts? Anyone?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything...but the chapter is dedicated to my friend Ty...who is the sweetest freshman that I have ever met...he owns the first two seasons of _Inuyasha_ on dvd...and is letting me borrow them to watch at my leisure! I love you Ty! (In a brotherly sort of way!)

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**Return to Yourself, Return to Me too...**

Sango sighed as she rolled over on the grass and awoke from her much needed nap. Her eyes became downcast as she saw how much work had been done while she was sleeping. A large portion of the rubble had been cleared away, and her friends were working on another part of the village.

Sango stood up and stretched, smiling to herself a little at the memory of Miroku looking out for her. She had seen Koharu's jealous face, and it had pleased her only further. She could still win back Miroku, and that thought made Sango happier.

As she walked towards her friends, the former demon slayer took careful note of the number of villagers there were; she would offer to take as many in for the winter as she could. It wouldn't be much, but at least there was _something_ that she could do...

"Sango, dear, how are ye feeling? Better I hope..." Lady Kaede asked as the young demoness approached. Sango smiled warmly at her.

"I am feeling much better...I regret not helping everyone clear all of this away though..." she admitted. Kagome smiled at her friend as she stood from the ground and brushed herself off.

"I'm going to head back home to get my first-aid kit; some of the villagers still need tending to. I'll be back soon ok? Don't work too hard..." she said. Sango smiled at her in return and nodded.

"Fine...tell everyone hello for me all right?" she said as Kagome passed. She nodded as she made a dash for the well, wanting to return as soon as possible.

"Something's different about her lately...she seems so...edgy..." Hekele said as she watched her friend leave. Kaede couldn't help but nod.

"Perhaps...it has to do with the fallen as well...many things are amiss because of that evil woman..." she stated. Deciding to take a break, Hekele sat down next to the old woman, and was soon followed by everyone else, including Inuyasha, now that Kagome had left.

"The wench has been acting stupid ever since we came across that crystal bitch..." he muttered. Sango narrowed her eyes at him.

"Inuyasha, I will not presume to know what happened between you two, but I'm sure it does not warrant your current attitude," she stated thinly, not liking to hear him speak so ill of ehr closest friend.

Inuyasha scowled, "You weren't there Sango...you didn't see _her_..." Miroku sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Then enlighten us Inuyasha; what transpired between Kagome and yourself that would thrust you into this seeming hatred?" It was then that Sango was well aware of everyone's eyes on Inuyasha, and so assumed that they too knew nothing of the necessary details.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and sighed. He really ought to tell them...they deserved to know why he was being an ass to one of their closest friends...

_**Flashback:**_

"_**You're lying Inuyasha! I wouldn't do that! I wouldn't kill someone like that! Why are you telling me this?" she yelled. Inuyasha's lips parted slightly in hurt and shock. He had been completely frank with her, and she didn't believe him.**_

"_**I'm not lying Kagome...and I'm not mad...I just need for you to know this so we can figure out what's going on..." he tried, approaching her once more.**_

_**Kagome only took another step away from him and stared at him accusingly. There was an undeniable fury in her eyes, as well as a deep pool of hurt. Inuyasha didn't like seeing those emotions in Kagome; she was suppose to be light-hearted and happy. He was angry at himself for upsetting her so much...but he needed her to understand...they needed to know what was happening...**_

"_**Stop lying Inuyasha! Shut-up and go away!" she yelled. Inuyasha swore that part of his heart cracked when she said those words. Her eyes were just burning into him as though trying to scorch his heart. And they even appeared a bit red...**_

"_**Kagome-"**_

"**_GO AWAY!" Inuyasha froze . Her eyes were red. They were flickering slightly, but they were most definitely a bright red instead of her usual dark brown. But...how..._**

"_**NOW!" Inuyasha sighed in defeat, and hurt. **_

"_**Stop acting like a two year old and listen to me Kagome! Look at your eyes! Their red! You aren't acting like yourself either!" he yelled back in his frustration. Kagome growled low in her throat, and even for a human, it was pretty threatening.**_

"_**JUST SHUT-UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE YOU STUPID HANYOU!"**_

_**End of Flashback:**_

Everyone's eyes were wide. Had Kagome truly said those words? To Inuyasha of all people? The said hanyou was staring at the ground, away from his friends, not sure if they would believe him. Sesshoumaru, being the only person present to know what had triggered the argument, shook his head.

"Inuyasha, you knew that she had been acting strange, that her temper had been flaring unreasonably, and yet you did not exercise patience when she grew angry with you?" he asked. Inuyasha shot him a glare.

"It's not like I didn't try, but the wench went too far!"

"Inuyasha, I would refrain from using the term 'wench' when referring to Kagome; she's nothing of the sort, and I'm certain that you do not mean it anyhow. Despite your touch exterior, you felt hurt and betrayed by her words, and so retaliated in the most childish manner. Now, explain to us what started the argument," Miroku asked him.

Inuyasha growled, "It started back when we fought the crystal woman. Kagome was acting very competitive, and not in a good way either. She almost hurt herself and when I tried to help, she all but bit my head off. Then, when we were actually fighting the thing, she just suddenly went on a rampage. It was like she was unconscious, but still moving. There was so much screaming...she ripped that chick to shreds...and didn't even seem to realize that she was doing it. Then she blacked out completely...and I brought her back here...I swear...I was _scared_ of her...But I knew that something was up...because Kagome wouldn't do that...that's not her at all...and she didn't seem to remember any of it. When I finally told her what happened, so that she would know and so that we could try to figure this whole thing out...we had that fight..."

Once more, everyone's eyes had widened. Kaede's face held one of extreme conviction, for she knew now more than ever that the fallen was indeed behind the tragic separation of her beloved 'children'.

"That despicable creature...Inuyasha, ye must realize that it is indeed not our dear Kagome who does such evils...it is the fallen...ye must make up with her if ye are ever going to beat this wretched...Oyu woman..." she stated firmly. Inuyasha said nothing, but only looked at the ground.

Sango looked at Kaede with a sense of realization in her eyes. Could...could Miroku be under such a spell as well? Could that be why he seemed not to remember ever loving her? Sango's mind raced; could there still be a chance for her? Could the spell be reversed?

She hoped so...

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"Kohaku-kun, how much longer do you think it'll take to get there...I'm beginning to get one of those bad feelings..." Kanna said as she raced through the fields with Kohaku; Rin and Shippo were on their backs.

Kohaku shook his head, "I have no idea...maybe another hour or so...definitely no longer...and I know what you mean about that feeling...something bad's going to happen..." Rin bit her lip.

"Do you think that the fallen will show up again? Rin never saw her...but she makes Rin afraid..." she admitted. Kohaku gave one of the girl's legs a little squeeze of support.

"I'm not sure Rin...but we can take her...don't worry..." he comforted. Kanna gave him an approving smile as the group pressed on further. Something felt amiss in the air, and even Shippo seemed to notice; he kept looking around constantly, as if he thought that something would jump out at them and attack. Kanna wouldn't say anything, but she felt the same way.

What was happening?

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"Koga? How are you doing?" Sango asked as she sat next to the wolf demon. He was sitting on a rock by the river looking gloomy. Sango could understand why; she had heard about Kachie leaving after all. She knew that wolves were pack animals, and needed to be with a group or else they'd get lonely quickly. She herself was feeling the same way, what with Miroku's behavior as of late. She wanted to talk to someone, and Koga seemed like the perfect person to talk to at the moment.

After a moment or so, it seemed that Koga had reached a similar conclusion, for he looked at her and graced her with a response.

"I assume that you've heard about Kachie..._departing _for a while..." he said. Sango nodded.

"Yes...the children mentioned it...I'm sorry that we couldn't prevent it..." she offered. Koga sighed.

"Yea...me too...I'm worried about her...you weren't there when her parents came to get her...awful creatures...I honestly can't believe she was raised by them...violent too...If they seemed less likely to hurt her...I probably wouldn't worry so much..." he replied. Sango curled her knees up to her chest and sighed.

"It seems we all have been having unfixable problems as of late..." she admitted. Koga looked at her for a moment and shook his head.

"There is no problem that is unfixable; we just don't know how to fix it yet. I'll get Kachie back, Inuyasha and Kagome will patch things up, Hekele'll stop having nightmares, and you'll break whatever spell is on Miroku. We just don't know how to yet..." he explained.

Sango smiled a bit, "So...you think Miroku is under a spell? Ever since I heard Lady Kaede speak of the one that is undoubtedly upon Kagome and Inuyasha, I couldn't help but hope that the same went for Miroku...but I'm not so certain...this _is_ Miroku we're talking about..."

Koga shook his head, "Don't doubt him Sango...it's what the fallen wants...I think she wants us all to split up in the end...sort like what Naraku wanted when he tested our feelings for one another in those dimensions...Except, she couldn't do it on her own, she couldn't make us leave each other, so she had to cast spells in order to separate us. She had to make Miroku love Koharu because he loves you too much to think of anyone else. Just like she had to _make _Kachie's parents steal her away in the future, because she knew there were too many factors involved there for me to simply whisk her away to safety. Like she also had to _make _Inuyasha and Kagome hate each other...because no matter their petty fights, they always still love each other and would never allow harm to come to the other as long as they were near..."

Sango laid her head on her knees, "And what of Hekele and Sesshoumaru? The only noticeable thing wrong with them are Hekele's nightmares and Sesshoumaru's inability to comfort her..." Koga shrugged.

"Something big will happen to them too...I'm sure of it. The opportunity just hasn't come yet for the fallen to effectively push them apart probably. But never mind them for now...you need to worry about Miroku, and getting him back to normal...frankly, Koharu gives me the creeps...she's way to clingy..."

Sango smiled a bit at this, knowing that he was right, "Yes...she always was clingy...thank you very much Koga...I don't know how, but you've made me feel better...I owe you."

Koga gave her a look, "I'm sorry, I take up-front payment only, IOU's are entirely unreliable..." Sango laughed at him and punched him in the arm playfully.

"You've spent _way _too much time in the other era..." she said, still laughing. Koga grinned.

"Yea...but I made you laugh, and you _really_ looked like you needed it..."

Sango offered him a fake glare and stood up to leave, "You saying that I'm ugly? Make me mad again and I'll be forced to push you into the river and freeze you there!" With that, she walked away, being sure to hide a grateful smile at his offered advice and words.

Koga himself smiled as well. _Don't worry Sango, you'll get the lecher back...though why you would want him in the first place will forever elude all of us..._

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"Kotaro? Love? This one would like to share something with you..." Oyu called from her perch on her bed. Kotaro obediently entered the room a moment later, a small look of curiosity on his mostly void face. Oyu smiled softly at him as she showed off her bowl of water. In it was an image of Sango, smiling. Kotaro tried to hide surprised eyes as he gazed next at Oyu.

"She smiles?" he asked, referring to all of the torment that her heart had been going through, and her steady and regretful downfall into despair. Oyu smiled at him even more brightly.

"It shall be the fool's last smile, for certain. This one is happy to note that the spell has reached it greatest potency with her. She soon shall fall prey to it's greatest manifestation..." she revealed. Kotaro couldn't help the startled expression upon his face.

"Ariel...what do you mean by 'it's greatest manifestation'?" he asked, internally concerned. Oyu shot him a disdainful look.

"Please, love; do not call this one by that wretched name...this one's name is Oyu now...and as for this one's words...the spell first wears down at the souls of those it tortures, and then creates a situation in which ends up breaking what's left. In this case...dear Sango's emotions will be toyed with to an extent that she will wish to stop feeling all together...and then the spell shall grant that desire, by killing her. This one is pleased that the potency has already reached it's fullest..." she explained lazily. She turned away from Kotaro to look longingly into her bowl of water, which revealed the current location of Miroku to her, and smiled.

"It shall only take but a few more hours, this one assumes...certainly no longer..."

Kotaro averted his eyes, deep in thought, "I'll leave you to your show my lady...there are things that I've yet to attend to..." Oyu pouted at his words but nodded. She rose from her bed and gave him a soft kiss.

"Be not long dearest...this one wishes for you to witness Sango's death as well...this one should like to see you smile as you used to..." she said, smiling at him mysteriously. Kotaro managed a small smile in return, and Oyu accepted it as good enough.

Kotaro left her then, and proceeded rather quickly once he had left her earshot. He had to stop this. He had to save this woman, Sango, from her fate. He could not let all his work be for nothing. He knew, more than Oyu certainly did, that he had two lives to save. The only thing that stopped Miroku from joining Sango in the after life in the future was the support of his friends. But with the spell working to separate them, and with the guilt that Miroku would undoubtedly feel when the spell over him was broken, he may not be able to stand it...

Also, how would Kotaro ever look Kohaku in the eye, even on a battle field, if he let his sister die again?

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Darkness was beginning to fall when Kagome returned to the Feudal Era. With her she had an entire back pack full of bandages, medicine, and even a few packages of ramen that she'd leave for Inuyasha. Not that he deserved her forgiveness or anything, but she was beginning to get tired of being angry at him.

She followed her nose into a hut that had recently been designated as a sort of hospital. There she found Kaede, Sango, Hekele, and Kagura tending to some of the more seriously injured. Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the annoyed look quickly creeping upon Kagura's face. She never did have the greatest patience in the world, but she was visibly trying not to strangle one particular father who seemed to be giving her a hard time about the way she was bandaging his son's wound; even though she was doing a perfectly fine job.

Kagome quickly rescued her from her mental dilemma, "Here Kagura, how about you get these sorted out and to where they're needed; I'll finish up here..." Kagura gave her a grateful look and took Kagome's pack, sifting through it for some antibiotic that Hekele had just asked for.

"So Kagome, what news hails from your era?" Sango asked, strangely cheerful. Kagome looked at Hekele and Kaede, who only shrugged.

"Well," she began, "Mom's going to come by after work to help out here; she's really upset about what happened...and Grandpa's already called a lawyer about getting Kachie back; they're going to meet the day after tomorrow. Oh, and I'm sorry to say it Hekele, but school starts back up tomorrow..." Hekele groaned and hit her head on the wall.

"I forgot all about school...ever since that damn wave hit we've been off the hook..." she muttered. Sango smiled sympathetically at her.

"Oh well...you knew you had to go back sooner or later, right?" she joked. Hekele growled lightly as she made her way over to the next patient.

"So? I hate school...if I could quit school, live here, and not cause a legal problem in the process, I would, hands down..." she said. Sango laughed a bit.

"It can't be that bad..."

"Hey!" Everyone turned to the door and saw Inuyasha. He spared Kagome a small glance before speaking once more.

"Have any of you seen Miroku? He's supposed to be helping out here, but we don't know where the idiot is..." he said.

Sango cocked her head to the side, "You can't smell him?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "He must be somewhere downwind...but we last saw...Koharu...on the other end of the village...but her scent is strangely odd to pick up, so..." Sango looked thoughtful.

"I see...well, if that's the case, then I'll look for him for you."

Inuyasha looked at her hesitantly for a moment, "Are you sure Sango?" Sango smiled a bit and grabbed her boomerang.

"I'm sure...As long as Koharu isn't near, I'll be fine, and if she happens to be there, I'll have a legitimate cause to tell her off for keeping Miroku from where he's needed...besides, I miss having reasons to hit him with this..." she said, motioning to Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha hesitated once more, but stepped aside to let her out. As she made her way downwind towards the forest, He sighed.

"I hope that wasn't a mistake..." he admitted. Kagome bit her lip.

"Sango's tough...she can handle herself...even if Miroku's under an evil love spell..." she said. This caused Inuyasha to look at her for a moment, as if thinking, and then he gave a rather gruff 'keh' and left the hut. Despite the fact that Inuyasha believe in what Kaede had said to him, he couldn't quite forgive Kagome yet, but he was finding it harder and harder to be upset with her. Maybe soon...maybe soon he'd have the courage to talk to her about it again. He did still love her after all...

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Sango sighed as she quietly brushed through the forest in search of Miroku. The likelihood of him trying to get out of working was great, but then again, so was the fact that he could be spending time with Koharu. She didn't want to think about that though...

"Where is that damn lech anyway?" she asked aloud, but to herself. She walked on a few more steps when something stopped her.

"Miroku-sama...why have you brought me here?" Sango froze. It was Koharu.

Sango knew that she shouldn't spy, she knew that she should just walk right on out there and scold Miroku for leaving the work to their friends while he went off with _her_...but she couldn't help it. She just happened to have a good visual, and since she had circled downwind in hopes of catching his scent, she had also unconsciously covered her own. So she just stayed put, as if unable to move.

"I brought you here because I needed to speak to you of something..." Miroku said lightly. Koharu giggled, and Sango had the distinct and very violent urge to rip the girl's tongue out.

"Miroku-sama...you're so mysterious...tell me what it is you wish to tell me!" she pleaded. Sango internally growled.

_Yes Miroku...why have you brought her in the middle of the woods without telling anyone? I swear...if your hands do anything improper I'm gonna..._

"My dearest, how impatient you are...I should like the chance to surprise you!" he toyed. Sango had to suppress a real growl then, for he had moved closer to the girl and was holding her hands softly in his own; like he had held hers so many times before...

Koharu then smiled and laid her head on his chest. Miroku wrapped his arms around her tightly and lightly kissed her head. Sango had to avert her eyes at this. Not only was it something that she was not suppose to see, but she didn't _want_ to see it either...

"I wish to ask you something of great importance..." Miroku said softly. Koharu nodded.

"I'm listening Miroku-sama..." she answered. Miroku smiled.

"I...want you to know how much I love you...how much you mean to me..." he began.

Koharu smiled innocently up at him, "I love you too Miroku-sama...very much..."

Miroku smiled a bit more and kissed her cheek this time, "I...was hoping..."

"Yes?" Sango's heart clenched when she heard this. She knew what was coming, and had to shut her eyes, despite the fact that she was already looking away. The pain inside was welling up too fast to keep in check.

"...that you would join me...and be my wife...Please marry me Koharu..."

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"Sango? Miroku! Anybody!" Kohaku yelled as he ran into the decimated village. Kanna was a little ways behind him with Shippo on her back, and Rin was starting to get heavy on his.

In less than a moment, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Hekele, Kagome, and Kagura were running towards them urgently. Kohaku could see them coming. It was then and only then that he stopped running. Rin slumped off his back quickly and supported the tired boy to keep him from falling over. Kanna reached him almost in the same instant that the rest of their friends did. Shippo dived at Kagome, happy to see her, and Rin hugged Hekele and Sesshoumaru as soon as Kagura and Inuyasha had Kohaku and Kanna situated in sitting positions on the ground.

"What happened to you guys? We thought you were at the village..." Hekele asked Rin, concerned. Kohaku was breathing heavily, but answered before she could.

"Kotaro...this guy named Kotaro came to see us...he knew we were there...he's with the fallen..." At this everyone's eyes widened. They remembered Kotaro.

"Did he hurt you kids? I swear, when I get my hands on him and his bitch, I'll-" Inuyasha was but off by Kanna.

"He...came to talk...he didn't even come near us...he told us about the spells...how to save Miroku and Sango..." she said.

Kohaku's breathing had returned closer to normal, "He didn't smell of lies either...he freely exposed his scent to us when asked...he told us that he wanted to help Sango and Miroku break the spell..." He held up the vial of antidote.

"I found this a few days ago, and he told us that it's the antidote, and that he had left it there for us the night that Koharu came...he said that we just have to give it to Miroku and he'll return to normal...and give a little to Koharu...she's under a spell too..." he finished.

By this time, Kaede had approached the group, as her old age had prevented her from doing any fast. She took the vial from Kohaku gently and opened it. She stared at it long and hard, "It is most definitely a potion...and appears by it's aura to in fact be an antidote...ye say he claimed to have given it to ye...why?"

The group's senses were assailed by a familiar scent, and the children turned almost expectantly to where Kotaro appeared out of a swirl of wind. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha snarled at him and stepped in front of the group protectively. They stared at Kotaro, who only returned the stares while raising his hands where they could be seen.

"You haven't got much time. _She _had something up her sleeve that I didn't know about; it'll kill them. Do you hear me? Kill them! The spell has reached it's potency within Sango, and I can't say what'll happen, but if you don't get that potion into Miroku soon, and him to her, the spell will kill her, and his guilt will kill him!" he said exasperated, not waiting to be addressed or spoken to. Inuyasha growled low in his throat.

"Why should we believe you! What if this stupid thing'll make things worse?" he asked accusingly. Kotaro looked him dead in the eye.

"I'd stake my life on it, but I've already promised that Kohaku could end it instead. He deserves to be the one to kill me anyway. I can't help you any more than this, but take what I offer."

"Damn it! Why can't you do more! If you're so remorseful then kill the bitch!" Koga yelled, having approached as Kotaro had made his entrance. Kotaro looked at him firmly.

"I can promise you that Kachie is safe as of now, Koga, and still in the country. Does that help? I can't kill Oyu; not if I so desired."

Kohaku stared at Kotaro for a long time, and Kotaro felt his stare and turned his gaze toward the demon boy. Kohaku spoke, void of emotion, "What's her name?"

Kotaro nodded in understanding, "Her true name is Ariel, unless she lies to me worse than before." With that, Kotaro used what little magic he possessed to bend the wind once more to his whim and vanished into the air once more.

"Good luck, and god speed," he said, seconds after his body had vanished. Everyone looked at Kohaku in confusion except for Kanna, who translated for the group.

"He told us that no fallen angel had ever had the name of Oyu, and that when he discovered her real name that he'd tell us...I guess it's Ariel..." she said.

Kohaku looked at the group with alarm, "Can't you feel it in the air! Something's happening! We need to get this to Miroku and Koharu quickly...It's all we've got, and the four of us have felt this weird energy all day!" Kanna, Rin, and Shippo nodded to confirm this.

It was at that precise moment that the group felt a huge void in the air. No wind rustled the trees, no chirping sounded with the birds, nothing...just emptiness...

Hekele picked up Rin, "Ok, Some of us need to take care of these kids; they're too tired to go anywhere else. The rest of us find Miroku, fast...I don't like this stillness..." _I don't want to say it out loud...but it feels sort of like a heart stopped...Sango...please be safe..._

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Sango swore she had just been stabbed through the chest at Miroku's words; through her heart. Her soul felt cold suddenly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Of course Miroku-sama! Of course I'll marry you, I love you too much to say no!" was Koharu's reply.

Sango clutched her heart; it felt like someone had just twisted a double edged sword in her chest. She gasped painfully as the tears in her eyes flooded her vision. It was just a spell wasn't it? It wasn't really Miroku saying these things...right?

Then why did her heart feel as though it had just been ripped from her chest...literally?

Sango did the only thing that she could think of; she ran.

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"Koharu...I'm so happy that you-"

"Miroku! You big damn idiot! Don't move a fuckin' muscle!" Inuyasha yelled at the top of his lungs as soon as the monk had come into sight. Miroku sighed dejectedly. It was simply too good to last wasn't it? He just couldn't have a peaceful moment with his love it seemed...even when he tried to propose...

"Inuyasha, what is the meaning of your interruption? And your foul language as well! Young ears are listening!" he reasoned slyly. Inuyasha didn't waste time in grabbing the demon by his collar and pulling him into a standing position mere inches from his own face.

"We've been lookin' all over for your sorry ass..." he muttered, before shoving the vial he had obtained from Kohaku into Miroku's mouth. After Miroku had involuntarily swallowed most of it, Inuyasha pulled it back, being sure to save some for Koharu. Miroku coughed violently at the disgusting liquid as Koga and Sesshoumaru came up, having heard Inuyasha's unseemly yell and knowing that he had found Miroku.

"You make sure you don't cough up any of your medicine, you hear?" Koga said, whacking Miroku over the head and receiving a very satisfying yell in return.

Koharu jumped up angrily, "What are you doing to my Miroku-sama? How dare you-"

Sesshoumaru irritatedly stole the vial from Inuyasha and shoved it into Koharu's mouth before she could close it, "And be sure to swallow wench; you've caused us a lot of trouble..."

Miroku suddenly glowed a light blue for a second, but then was normal. He wore a very confused face, "What...in seven hells happened? And what's that putrid taste in my mouth?"

Inuyasha growled, "It's Enlightenment; now what just happened here?"

Miroku looked completely lost for a moment, but then his face gained a look of complete horror as the memories of the past few weeks invaded his mind. He remembered everything; Sango, Koharu, him _kissing _Koharu, and worse, _proposing_ to Koharu...and then he remembered feeling something odd in the air...almost like a heart stopped...and then he smelled tears...

His eyes widened in morbid realization, "I've got to get to Sango! Thanks Inuyasha!"

Koga looked at Sesshoumaru as Inuyasha yelled threats about showing more gratitude and sighed, "Are we invisible, or do people just not care about our contributions?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at him, "For once, keep your thoughts to yourself...and shut the hell up..."

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_**You only see what your eyes want to see;**_

_**How can life be what you want it to be?**_

_**You're frozen,**_

_**When your heart's not open...**_

Sango ran until she couldn't run any longer. The pain in her heart was killing her. When she stopped and took her hand away from where her heart was, she saw blood. Her eyes welled up with fresh tears...and it wasn't because of the physical pain either.

She dropped to her knees and sighed, hopeless. She managed a small smile though.

"I suppose I'll die of a broken heart after all..."

_**You're so consumed with how much you get;**_

_**You waste your time with hate and regret.**_

_**You're broken,**_

_**When your heart's not open...**_

Miroku ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He couldn't believe that he was once again chasing Sango through the woods because of his idiocy. Both times now had he been under a sort of spell when it happened, and both times had he hurt Sango so badly that she had fled from him. Why was he always hurting her like this? Could he do nothing right? So what if it was a spell! He should still know better than to fall for things such as that! He loved her too much to be that gullible...and yet he still was, six months later...

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**If I could melt your heart**_

Sango closed her eyes and waved her arms about her slowly, bringing forth her power. It was only fitting that she freeze wasn't it? After all, that's what had happened to her heart twice now...it had been frozen...why not her body too?

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**We'd never be apart**_

Miroku felt her aura growing. He had to be near her...he had to fix this...damn if he wasn't the biggest fool in the world! If she died on him...he didn't know what he'd do. He could smell her blood now, and prayed to whatever deity existed that she'd be ok...

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**Give yourself to me**_

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**You...are...the key...**_

Sango closed her eyes as her aura began wrapping itself around her body. It was freezing cold; but that didn't matter; she had it coming. She was a fool. She should have known better...

Ice crystals began to form on her body, but still did she not flinch. She was perfectly content with sitting there in her misery. She truly no longer cared.

_**Now there's no point in placing the blame,**_

_**And you should know I'd suffer the same.**_

_**If I lose you,**_

_**My heart will be broken...**_

Miroku's breath was cut short by what he saw. It was like deja vu; Sango was being frozen...but instead of only her soul freezing...all of her was. He ran to her side and tried to shake her, but she did not stir. His hands began to freeze, but he didn't move from her side. She was dying, dying right before his eyes; just like she had when they were facing Naraku...

"Sango-chan..." his voice was broken up, eyes welling with tears most men would find offensive and weak. He could care less; the love of his life was giving up on him, again, and to an extent, he knew it was his fault.

She couldn't even hear him...but he needed her to, he refused to have her death on his hands again, not when he loved her so much and then failed to protect her for what seemed like the thousandth time...

_**Love is a bird;**_

_**She needs to fly.**_

_**Let all the hurt inside of you die.**_

_**You're frozen,**_

_**When your heart's not open...**_

Sango felt something. She felt...warmth. Who dared to give her warmth? All she wanted was to be cold, so cold that no one could hurt her. She felt pressure on her lips, soft pressure...almost desperate...who...who could be kissing her? Who, if not Miroku, could love her?

She felt herself being shifted, she felt more comfortable, but she still didn't understand...what was happening?

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**If I could melt your heart**_

Miroku could feel her ice forming on him as well. He gently kissed her lips and pull her into his lap carefully, not wanting to cause her pain.

"We died together once...do you remember? I'd do it again one thousand times over...if only I'd be dying with you...just so you'd know how much I love you..." he softly cooed. He felt himself freezing with her, and all thoughts to save himself erased themselves from his mind. He only cared for her, and if he couldn't get it right on earth, then maybe in the afterlife he'd manage to be there when she needed him.

He kissed her forehead once more when her heartbeat no longer reached his ears. He allowed his tears to fall freely, uncaring for anyone but her. He placed his hand over hers and held it to her unbeating heart in pure remorse. He had failed her...

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**We'd never be apart**_

Sango fell into nothingness. She had felt that warmth...but then the darkness had won. She felt cold, and then felt nothing at all. Only darkness met her.

'_We died together once...do you remember? I'd do it again one thousand times over...if only I'd be dying with you...just so you'd know how much I love you...'_

Sango heard it...heard Miroku's voice in the darkness. She felt his desperation...did he want her to live? Did he care about her? Love her? Had he truly said it once more?

She wanted to know; she wanted to wake up and look him in the eye and ask him if he truly meant it, that he'd die for her just to show her that he loved her.

Could he...could he be with her frozen body now? Was that what she had felt before she had died? Him holding her? But if that was the case...if he was too close...he'd...

_No! I don't want you to die! I...I want you to be happy! I want us to be happy! I won't let you die here with me; it's not right! You are not meant to suffer like this!_

She couldn't get out. She struggled against the darkness, which began to form long arms that wrapped around her body, pulling her deeper. She kept struggling though; she had to get to Miroku, had to stop herself...she needed him to live...she'd never be able to face herself, even in the afterlife, if she allowed him to die this way, for her distrusting self.

But there was no light, and so Sango could not escape her own prison. She needed something to follow, something to guide her, pull her back so that she could save him...

'_Only you Sango...in the end, no spell can change that...no matter how long before some lucky duck saves me from it...in the end of everything...only you my love...'_

She saw a light, her chance, and she took it.

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**Give yourself to me**_

Miroku stroked her hand lovingly as he spoke the last words he knew he'd ever say, and he spoke them to her, knowing that it was too late but needing her to hear them anyhow.

"Only you Sango...in the end, no spell can change that...no matter how long before some lucky duck saves me from it...in the end of everything...only you my love..." Once more had he failed her, only to spill out his deepest feelings for her while holding her limp form. He couldn't take it any longer. He closed his eyes, excepting his fate. He could feel his body freeze at a more rapid pace, and yet the cold pain meant nothing to him. He held her tightly to his chest as a semi-frozen tear rolled off his face and onto her cheek.

Suddenly something pulsed. Miroku almost didn't feel it at first, but the second time it got stronger, sending off a wave of warmth in all directions. Miroku cautiously opened his eyes a bit to look at Sango, who appeared not to have changed. Then a third time did he feel the pulse, stronger still. His half frozen eyes widened as he realized that he was feeling the pulse from his hand...from Sango's heart...

The ice began to crack, Miroku could hear it, but he never looked away from Sango. His eyes only widened further as the pulse began to get stronger, and faster. It wasn't just her heart either...it was her entire body that gave off the energy. The ice glowed suddenly and shot out in all directions away from the pair, releasing them entirely. Miroku only gazed at Sango hopefully as both of their forms began to glow with a radiant light. It was like a swirling flame of both light blue and yellow that surrounded them entirely.

The 'flaming' swirl of energy suddenly decreased in size. It floated, in front of Miroku, and he outstretched his hand to take it. It was a crystal, the size of the former Shikon no Tama, and it was filled with the flaming swirl of his and Sango's energy. He was entranced by it, but was even more entranced when the girl in his arms began to stir.

"Miroku! Sango!"

"Are you guys ok!" He heard the calls and yelling of their comrades, no doubt concerned and attracted to the odd energy. But he paid them no mind as Sango finally opened her eyes and gazed into his own.

_**Mmmmmm...**_

_**You...are...the key...**_

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"Damn it all to hell! How did this one's spell fail?" Oyu screamed within her chambers. Kotaro gave a huge sigh of relief at the sound, despite it's enraged owner. Sango and Miroku had lived. Thank god...

"Kotaro! This one requires your presence!" He closed his eyes and hoped that he had not been discovered. He walked into the room slowly, and was met with a very angry gaze.

"Kotaro, love...you've had your nose in more spell books than this one, explain how the spell could have failed; the two are still alive, and completely free of it's bindings!" she asked, trying to remain calm. Kotaro wasn't fooled though; Ariel, or Oyu, seemed close to hyperventilation due to her anger.

"I cannot say my love, those idiots must just have been able to break through it in a time of need...it is possible, but highly difficult...their spirits must be more powerful in this time of magic and power..." he tried. Hey, he would have bought it, and as long as Oyu didn't truly suspect him of foul play, she would too...

Oyu took a deep breath, "This one sees...no matter." Kotaro could have fallen over at her sudden change in attitude, but he resisted the urge.

"What has my lady got up her sleeve that she is no longer bothered by this?" he asked cautiously, greatly concerned.

Oyu managed a small smile, "Another part of the spell is close to peaking...it may even happen within the day...apparently, the spell itself does not like being undone...and this time, what with the likelihood of it happening in the other era, the magical air won't be a factor...But Kotaro, this one finds it difficult to believe that, even with two spells cast upon him, Miroku was able to break the spell. For certain, he may have the spiritual power, even as a demon, to break the one upon him and Sango, but with the added spell that this one cast upon him and Koharu, it should easily have been impossible..."

Cornered, Kotaro did the only thing he knew may work, flattery, "My dearest...in a pinch such as this, love can conquer all...as mine would undoubtedly do should anything happen to you...but you are correct that it must have been difficult...Would you expect nothing less than a challenge from these infidels? Would revenge be as sweet if it were easy?" As he spoke, he took her hand in his and kissed it lovingly. It seemed to work, for Oyu turned from him back to her 'mirror' of water.

"As true as that is love, this one hopes that it will be a simple defeat that comes next, for this one's mood would delight if it were."

Kotaro dared to glace towards her magical water, "And who shall be unfortunate enough to suffer this defeat my love?"

Oyu smiled as she watched Kagome and Hekele go into the future through the well, and away from her vision, "Hekele and Sesshoumaru..."

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**Me-** Wow...that was faster than usual!

**Kachie-** Yup! Yay! Now get to work on your _Tokyo Mew Mew_ story before I beat you ass!

**Me-** (sighs) back to work already. Ok, free song-fic to the first reviewer to guess what the orb that came from Miroku and Sango is/is for...so review! Hurry!


	15. Disastrous Hellos Destructive Goodbyes

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hi gang! Other than once more proclaiming my undying love for Kachie's brilliant and divine intervention when I needed it most in this story, this isn't going to be a long author's note.

Kachie, you wonderful person, I am so happy that you were able to save this chappie...and the few chappies before it. You gave me a whole new plot bunny to use that didn't put a huge amount of the me and Sesshoumaru pairing in chappies where it didn't belong. Lol...I love it when you push my idea button...(Ha! She stomped on the button this time...)

Suaru...once more, you've won a song-fic. Lightning Assassin asked me to give it to you since your guess was closer. Be sure to tell him thanks. Also...give me a pairing from my story besides Kag/Inu this time...I wanna try something different! Is AU ok, or out of the question? Do you have a preferred song? Genre? Let me know chika!

Speaking of Lightning Assassin, he is currently having computer issues and won't be able to update for a while, he kindly requested that I tell you guys that because a few of you, (cough, coughSuaru and Kachiecough, cough) read his story besides me and he doesn't want anyone to think he's dropped the story.

Here's the Hekele/Sesshoumaru chapter!

**_Disclaimer_** If I owned _Inuyasha_, I'd be rich and living in Japan with a Sesshoumaru look-alike butler catering to my every desire...but, since I don't, this fan-fic will have to do...

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**Disastrous Hellos, Destructive Good-byes, and Divine Interventions**

Hekele and Kagome had come home after Sango and Miroku had been found. It wouldn't be a good idea to miss the first day that school was back in session, despite the fact that they wanted to make sure that Sango and Miroku were all right.

The crystal orb that had appeared, supposedly born of their combined powers, was quite the mystery as well. What was it really? Why did it appear? Does it have to do with them breaking the spell?

These questions and others kept the two awake that night for hours. Sometime in the early morning, Hekele fell asleep, but Kagome lingered in the realm of consciousness for a while longer. Her biggest question was also her biggest worry.

Who was next?

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_**Hekele walked through the streets of Tokyo, her mind constantly reminding her of the shadows that were following her. It was like a really bad horror movie, one where even the character knew better than to do something, and yet did it anyway, for literally no good reason at all. That's what Hekele felt like. She knew she was dreaming again, which was the oddest thing. She could never remember being in a dream and knowing it before.**_

_**She also knew that the shadows belonged to her father. In her dreams, what else could they be? It was too weird though. By this time in her dreams, she had usually seen him once or twice...but this time, she had seen nothing but shadows.**_

_**He was stalking her, that much she knew. She didn't know why though, and that bothered her. She could easily feel her paranoia rising, and in Hekele, that was never a good thing. Paranoia was to Hekele and a loaded pistol is to a victim's head; mind-numbing and in complete control. She never did think straight when she was paranoid...maybe that was why she walked right into a dead end alley, knowing that it led to a wall.**_

_**Her father appeared then, later than usual, but just as frightening. Hekele could feel her breathing become labored and heavy. She was beginning to hyperventilate. What the hell? She never hyperventilated anymore! Not in months! Why was she so weak in her dreams?**_

"_**It's time..." she heard him say as she steadily walked closer. Hekele backed herself against the wall and assumed a fighting stance, regaining control of her breathing as well.**_

'_**I'm not weak...this is MY dream...' she thought as she charged at him, fist raised. He charged at her as well, a knife in his hand. He side stepped her attack and grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her down to the cement.**_

"_**You can't even beat me in your sleep little girl...does that tell you anything about what will happen when we meet in person?" he said sardonically. Hekele's eyes widened in fear as he swung down at her, just barely grazing her arm.**_

_**And then she woke up.**_

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"Hekele! Hekele! Wake up, you're having another nightmare!" Kagome tried frantically to wake up her friend. Hekele was sweating and tossing and turning in her bed. She had cried out in her sleep, alerting Kagome out of her own light rest.

After shaking her for a minute or so, Kagome saw, to her horror, as a long thin cut made it's way across Hekele's arm. It was then that Hekele herself became completely still. Worried, Kagome shook her once more and to her relief, Hekele woke up.

She was breathing heavily, and Kagome held her frightened friend in support, "Shhh...it's ok...you're awake now...you're safe..." She stroked Hekele's back soothingly as the said teen tried to calm down. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn't shake the imaginary pain in her right arm...

Kagome pulled back after a few minutes and examined Hekele's arm, "I don't know what the hell happened in your dream...but tell me when I get back...I'm going to get some bandages for that cut..." Hekele looked down at her arm in morbid curiosity, and was shocked to find that her 'imaginary' wound wasn't so imaginary after all.

The wound itself was more like a really long scratch; it wasn't deep, and didn't bleed much either. The symbolism of the wound, however, rang loud and clear.

Her father was going to appear...and soon.

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Oyu smiled to herself; the spell had officially reached its greatest potency within Hekele and Sesshoumaru. Oyu wasn't certain what had happened, and so assumed that it had occurred in the future, where her power was not extended. All Oyu knew was that Sesshoumaru had suddenly awoken out of a seemingly sound sleep with quite the start. Had he sensed something? It was quite possible, he had woken up as soon as Oyu felt their end of the spell reach it's maximum.

He no doubt felt something, not being under a second spell as Miroku had been allowed Sesshoumaru's senses to be a bit more keen to this sort of thing. However, not knowing what he was sensing, Sesshoumaru only sat against the wall of the newly built hut that he was sleeping in with his sword to his side. He wouldn't rest for the duration of the night.

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Hekele wore bags under her eyes as she descended the stairs. She wore her school uniform already, not wanting 'her mother' to worry about her. She had already made Kagome promise not to tell anyone until after school, then the two were going to go to the Feudal Era and talk to Kaede about the incident, and since Hekele knew that there was no way in hell that she could avoid it she would inform Sesshoumaru as well. He wouldn't be too happy about her keeping something like this from him...

"Hekele dear...you look like you haven't slept a wink...are you all right?" Ms. Higurashi asked as the girl walked into the kitchen. Hekele put on her cheeriest smile.

"...I had a bit of trouble getting to sleep...but I'm ok...I woke up once or twice..." she said. It was time to put 'Hekele's Three Laws of Good Lie Telling' into effect. _First, when trying to lie, always offer a little bit of the truth to bait your interrogator with..._

"...Hm...are you sure that was all? You look really tired..." Ms. Higurashi prodded.

_Second, when the bait has been set and taken, admit to a little bit more of the truth_, "Well...I stayed up for a while to start with...I was worried about Sango and Miroku...well...we told you about that whole incident last night...and Sango was still a bit out of it when we came home..."

"...I suppose...well, promise me that if there's anything else, you'll let me know ok? I worry about you lately with all of those nightmares...you don't ever seem to get enough sleep..."

_Finally, when you interrogator pulls out the guilt trip to hopefully snag the last of your lie, smile tiredly, nod, and agree to their terms, whether you intend to go through with them or not,_ "Sure Mom...I'd tell you if there was more to it...Promise..."

_Congratulations, you've learned how to properly get away with a lie, now, when Hekele figures out how to do that when a demon with a sharp nose is her interrogator, she'll publish course number two..._

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"That was lame Hekele..." Kagome said as the two walked to school. Hekele nodded.

"I'll tell her later...I just felt like going to school and being normal for a day...ok? I mean, if I don't tell, her, Kaede or Sesshoumaru definitely would, so what's the point in lying about it? I just needed to get away from uncontrollable insanity for a while..." she admitted, being completely honest. Kagome sighed.

"School is the devil's embodiment of insanity...what fantasy world are you living in?" she asked sardonically. Hekele chuckled lightly.

"Obviously a better one than I can dream up..." she replied. Kagome grew silent suddenly, and Hekele looked over at her.

"Hey...what's up? I was joking Kags..."

Kagome shook her head, "It's not that...I'm just wondering how Kachie's doing...Kotaro said that she was safe...and still in Japan...but do you think so? I know you're worried too..."

Hekele closed her eyes for a moment and sighed as she reopened them, "...I think Kotaro was being honest...Hey, while we're in study hall, why don't you look up info on Ariel? I'll go and explain Kachie's absence in the office...one of us has to...This way, we'll kill two birds with one stone...I'm sure the books in the library will have something...and if not, the Internet is bound to give us a couple of clues...look for sites devoted to angelology...sound good?" Kagome nodded.

"Sounds like a plan...now let's pick up the pace before we're late..."

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"Sesshoumaru-sama? How come you look upset?" Sesshoumaru turned his gaze from the window to Rin, who was staring at him with that concerned expression of hers. It had been in place too often in the past few weeks for Sesshoumaru's liking. A child shouldn't worry so often.

"It is nothing of your concern Rin...why don't you go and bother Shippo for a while..." he said nonchalantly, not wanting to concern her more by telling an outright lie. Rin seemed to understand and let him be in favor of finding her fox friend.

Sesshoumaru sighed for what he assumed must have been the tenth time that morning. He just couldn't get his mind off of what he had felt the previous night. It was odd, almost like an energy spike of some sort. And the strangest part was that he had felt it so vividly that it had awoken him, yet no one else seemed to have even had the slightest inclination that it had even taken place. This not only confused Sesshoumaru, but troubled him deeply as well.

"If ye are so worried about it, then ye should go and check it out," Kaede said as she returned to her makeshift hut from caring for one of the village children who had developed a cold.

Sesshoumaru looked at her strangely, "Do you mean to tell me that you felt that..._abnormality _last night as well?" Kaede nodded.

"Aye...I felt it; I was convinced that since no one else seemed to that I was finally going senile, but when I saw ye sulking about and pondering more than usual I figured that ye had as well."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, "You are senile. The energy didn't seem to be coming from anywhere, so where would one go looking for its source?"

Kaede decided to let the insult go for a while, "Go visit the other era when the girls return from their 'school,' and see if either of them felt anything as well. Kagome is a miko as well you know, and Hekele is bound to you by the spell if nothing else, perhaps if you felt something, she may have as well."

Sesshoumaru nodded his consent to the idea and stood to leave the hut, "Thank you for your council." Kaede smiled lightly.

"Ye are very welcome."

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"Anything?"

"Nope...you?"

"Nope...I'm finding all these sites that list all the fallen angels, but none that go into depth about why any of them fell..."

Hekele sighed, why did the world curse them so much? "I'm finding the same thing in these books...and it's taking forever to look through them all..." she said. Kagome sighed.

"Not that I'm complaining, but aren't you supposed to be downstairs in the office explaining the absence of our dearly confined Kachie?" she asked. Hekele shook her head.

"They said they'd call me down when they had time...and that if they didn't call me by the end of this hour to just come down after school to explain what I needed to explain to them..." she replied, lazily looking through another book. "Kags, can't you just focus your miko powers into finding a book, I mean, I know it's not witchcraft where you can poof everything you need, but you should be able to use it for something like that, right?" she questioned. Kagome's eyes lit up suddenly.

"Hey, yeah! I could at least try it! Is there anyone around us?" she asked. Hekele looked around and shook her head. Kagome then closed her eyes and put her hands together in the praying position. She concentrated her energy on what she wanted to accomplish. A book about spiritual beings would have a sort of spiritual aura about them, and if a book went in depth about a spiritual being, then it would have a stronger aura.

Kagome focused on recalling Oyu's aura from what she had remembered from the crystal woman's. If she could find a book with a slightly larger quantity of that or a similar aura, then she could safely bet that it had more information than other books with lesser concentrations.

Kagome snapped open her eyes suddenly and pointed to one of the books in Hekele's surprisingly large pile. "Fourth one down from the top. It's that one or nothing..." she said confidently. Hekele grabbed the book and began flipping through it. She suddenly smiled evilly.

"_The Complete Narration of the Fallen and Their Stories: as told by Archangel Michael_. Well, I'm not sure about that last part, but hey, if the aura is the same, Ariel's story must be at least a little reliable!" she exclaimed. Kagome grinned.

"Let's hope so...that was a little too convenient if you ask me..." she said with a skeptic smile. Hekele shook her head.

"Beggars can't be choosers Kags...we'll take our victories no matter how cheesy or simple they are..."

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Not a block away from the school, hidden in the shadows, a tall figure loomed ominously. He had light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The man looked a bit on the lanky side, with bags under his tell-tale orbs, but held formidable strength.

There was hate in his eyes, written there for the world to see. It was expressed in the way he stood and stared into the world. His body moved with a sort of slithering grace not present in anything but the most primal of hunters. It was silent, swift, and exact in every way; such movements are worthy of deep concern and observation.

A predator moving with such perfection has usually had a great deal of experience in his art, or is at least deeply confident in an easy kill. This man was such. His assurance in his victory was so potent that he cared not if his presence was known. Frightening his prey would be half the fun.

Beware the killer who does his deed to suspecting victims as opposed to the unaware.

He is far more challenging to survive.

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"So...they never called you down?" Kagome asked as she and Hekele walked to the front of the school. Hekele shook her head.

"Nope...I'll stay behind and let them know what's up, then when I get home we'll head to the Feudal Era...ok?" she suggested.

Kagome looked at her critically, "You sure? I can stay too..." Hekele shrugged.

"How many teenage girls does it take to deliver a message? Besides, you should start to look over that book for info on Ariel...it'll be a real bust if there's no useful info in there..." she said. Kagome sighed and nodded.

"Ok, I'll get to work on that...see you at home!" she called cheerfully as she ran out of the door and into the bright, snowy, freedom.

Hekele frowned slightly as she looked out into the snow; though it was supposedly the last major snow fall of the season, Hekele still thought that it was ridiculous to get three to four inches of snow in the middle of March. Not to mention that Hekele thought that the only thing snow was good for was wading it up into spheres and throwing them at people...she couldn't wait for Spring...

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"Well that took a ridiculously huge amount of time...I mean, I know there was a few people ahead of me and all, but sheesh...ten minutes? Kags is going to think I skipped out on her or something..." Hekele said to herself as she left the school building. Her backpack was full of work, and she just wanted to get this whole 'talk about dream and think of possible answers' session over with so that she could do her hours of homework in peace.

She began walking in a bored manner, not really wanting to hurry home but knowing that she needed to. Kags wasn't the only person liable to worry about her if she didn't get there relatively soon. Her mom, Ms. H., would as well. It was funny, Hekele didn't quite know when she had begun to call Ms. H. 'Mom' in her head, but she didn't mind; Mom was who she was to Hekele now...

And then she saw it; it was just a blurry image, but she saw it, staring at her from between two buildings.

_...Dad?_

No...it couldn't be, could it? There was no way in hell he could have gotten out of the States...not while being as wanted as he was. Out of the state _maybe_...but the country? Hekele looked around then, and after not seeing him again, breathed a sigh of relief and kept going.

_I'm losing my mind...it has officially happened...I'm seeing things...that can't be a good sign..._ she thought as she picked up her pace. She couldn't help it. In her dream he had basically said that they would meet in person...and that cut on her arm...Kagome said that it had come out of nowhere, right in front of her...Hekele knew that he couldn't have done it himself...her dad couldn't do magic...but it would explain how he had gotten to Japan...

And then, as another, more clear visualization of him appeared in the crowd in front of her, Hekele understood. This was 'Oyu's' doing; it was her spell. The nightmares had been a sort of warm up for the real thing while the pieces were being put into place. That nightmare last night was her final clue...her final warning so to speak...

One sardonic thought went through her head as she turned tail to run away. _Well, at least there's one less errand to run if I ever make it home alive..._

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"Where is she? I swear...She should have been home by now..." Kagome said, pacing in the kitchen as her mother fixed dinner.

"...It's been thirty minutes longer than it should have...I think I'll call the school..." Ms. Higurashi said, equally worried. As she left the kitchen, Kagome was surprised to hear a knock at the back door.

She was equally surprised to see Sesshoumaru, dressed complete in modern clothing, on the other side, "Um...what're you doing here?" Ok, not the best thing to say to a guy while worried about his misplaced girlfriend, but it was something...

Sesshoumaru recognized the anxiety in her voice and narrowed his gaze a bit as he entered the house. "What are you hiding? I may not be able to smell it, but you've never been good at keeping things to yourself..." Kagome sighed and shook her head; he had her pegged anyway...it would do no good beating around the bush or lying about it...

"Hekele...stayed after school to talk to the principal about Kachie's situation...and she's late getting home...really late..." she explained, making sure to put a few feet of distance between Sesshoumaru and herself as she did so.

"...She left the school almost half an hour ago...the secretary saw her leave the building..." Ms. H. said, reappearing into the room. She wore a very worried expression on her face.

If Sesshoumaru were in his demonic form, it is safe to say that he would have blazing red eyes at that particular moment. "Where else could she be?" he ground out, not liking where this was going, especially given his reason for even coming to the present era...

Kagome slumped her shoulders and shook her head, "Nowhere that I know of...she said she was heading straight home...we were going to visit you guys in the other era...we had something to talk to you and Kaede about..."

Sesshoumaru took a collective breath, "What is it that you wished to convey to us...it may be important..." Kagome sighed.

"Hekele...had another nightmare last night...but it was different...don't look at me like that Mom...the only reason I didn't tell you this morning was because Hekele promised that she would later; she just felt like getting out of the house and away from problems she couldn't seem to solve...anyway...it was bad...I woke up when she cried out in her sleep and then tried to get her up as well. At first it didn't work...but then this cut formed on her arm out of nowhere...and everything stopped...I freaked a bit and tried to wake her up again...and then it worked. She was seriously scared...After she calmed down and I took care of her arm, she told me that, in her dream, right before she woke up, her father cut her there...and...I'm pretty sure she didn't get back to sleep after that..." she explained as simply as she could.

Sesshoumaru's eyes shone with a hint of worry, something Kagome had definitely not expected given his previously pissed-off demeanor. "I too had difficulty sleeping last night. I felt an energy spike; it was so potent that it awoke me, and as I later discovered, Kaede as well. No one else, however, seemed to have felt anything. Kaede advised that I ask both you and Hekele if you had felt something similar...I take it that you didn't however..." he said.

Kagome sighed and shook her head, before abruptly looking up with a look of horror on her face. "Oh my God the spell..." she said suddenly. Sesshoumaru's own eyes enlarged ever so slightly.

"You believe that it has reached its potency..." he said steadily. Kagome nodded.

"That could have been the energy spike you felt...It must have been..." she realized aloud. Her voice was soft and full of worry, an emotion mimicked in Sesshoumaru's expression.

After pondering for a moment Sesshoumaru looked at Ms. Higurashi, "I'm going to go find her; I recall where the school is and I will inquire about her possible whereabouts beginning around there." Ms. Higurashi bit her lip and nodded.

"That might be a good idea...here, I'll give you my cell phone. If we find out anything, we'll call...when you hear it ring, just push this-"

Sesshoumaru gently took the phone from her hand and gave her a reassuring look, "I've seen both Hekele and Kagome use your cell phone more times than I care to count; there's no need to demonstrate..." Ms. Higurashi offered him a stressed smile as she watched him turn the phone on and put it into his pocket.

"I'm sorry...I'm just worried about her..." she said honestly. Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to leave, but looked at Kagome.

"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked. Kagome bit her lip.

"We may have found info on Ariel...that was the other thing we were coming back to tell you and Kaede..." she said. Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod.

"Go do that, perhaps you will find something useful in there that we can build on..." he said. Kagome nodded and watched him go out the door. She took a deep breath and turned back to her mother.

"Ok, you man the phones and I'll bring that huge book to the other era...I don't know how much help I'll provide...but it's something..."

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Fuck...he was faster than she remembered.

Twice now he had almost gotten a hold of her, and yet Hekele had managed to dodge out of the way both times. Why was it that she was running for her life, and yet, no one on the streets of Tokyo seemed to notice? They probably thought it was some stupid teenage girl running from her dad because she was in trouble...

_Ironically enough..._ she grumbled to herself. She saw a bridge heading to the other side of the city and ran towards it; if she was going to be running for her life, there was no way in hell she was going to run towards the shrine...she didn't want anyone to get caught in the crossfire...it would kill her if anyone else died because of _him_...

She was just to the side of the bridge, just about to cross the river, when she felt a hard impact to her side. She cried out in surprise as she went flying over the railing and rolling down the hill. When she reached the bottom she stood up as quickly as she could and started running again, discarding her backpack.

_Should have done that sooner...less weight...damn, my leg..._ She had hit her left leg pretty hard on the impact with the ground, and it was bothering her now as she continued to run.

_Come on adrenaline...don't fail me now..._ He was still behind her, and Hekele noticed a definite gain of ground on his part, either due to her leg or her tumble down the hill she didn't know, and frankly, as long as she wasn't caught off guard like she had been again, she didn't care; she just wanted to get away.

_Why the hell haven't I run into a single cop! You'd think they'd be out protecting the city, but nooo..._ She continued running, occasionally looking back and dodging inanimate objects, as the snow continued to fall from above. She looked ahead of her and her stomach churned. She was headed towards the slums; the back side of the city full of the things in life she tried to stay away from.

_Well...it's better than turning around and saying "Kill me!" but definitely as dangerous...if I'm lucky, he'll get shot by some drug lord and I can make a hasty getaway..._ she thought sarcastically as the sun began to set. She hated winter; she hated how it always got dark early. It was bad enough to be running for her life; it was ten times worse running for your life in the dark in the worst imaginable part of Tokyo.

Hekele cursed life and all its horrible humor and kept running; her father had gained on her once more.

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Sesshoumaru honestly couldn't remember the last time he had been so concerned. It was one thing for something like this to occur in the other era; but here...here he was human. His sense of smell was diminished to something rather dull and his hearing was just as bad, if not a little worse. He did not have his sword, the use of his demonic powers, strength, or speed.

He was just a normal man and that, given the fact that he could not find Hekele and that magic was no doubt involved with the current situation, scared him.

The people in the area had been a little help, however. One had seen a girl of Hekele's description running from a man heading towards the bridge. It took about three other people to get him _that_ far, but he was glad to at least have a lead.

As he made his way to the bridge, he couldn't help but wonder about the man who was pursuing Hekele. Could he be her father? That would explain his appearances in her dreams...But then again, from what Sesshoumaru understood, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for him to leave his country and enter Japan. Also, how would he even know Hekele's location? It seemed rather unlikely, but Sesshoumaru wasn't one to rule out possibilities simply due to unlikeliness.

He arrived at the bridge and noticed two things. First, someone had been shoved over the railing, and when Sesshoumaru looked down at the hill, he saw a trail where the person had rolled to the bottom. That was when he noticed the second thing: Hekele's backpack.

Sesshoumaru jumped over the railing and rushed down the hill without even thinking twice. Once at the bottom, he picked up Hekele's pack and looked around. Then a small grin forced its way onto his features. Tracks. The snow on the ground was not trafficked upon like the sidewalks, so there were only two sets of tracks in the area.

Two sets; Hekele was pursued even after she 'fell' from the bridge. Sesshoumaru took off in the direction of the tracks without hesitation; he had a lot of time to make up for, and he hoped he wasn't already too far behind...

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Hekele's legs were burning as she ran through the city's ghetto. She looked behind her quickly and noticed that she appeared to have lost her father for the moment. Dumb luck. She spotted a relatively open alley and ducked inside it. After locating a dumpster and hiding a few feet behind it, Hekele sat down on the ground and rested. She had to have been running for a little over an hour, and she didn't know how much longer she could last.

She heard something from outside the alley and flattened herself against the wall as best she could. After hearing nothing else, she peeked around the dumpster and saw nothing. Sighing in relief, she began examining her surroundings. She was outside a store of some sort, apparently a convenient store. It was closed and boarded up. After thinking for a moment, Hekele resolved to try to break in; she would be safer inside, and she might even find a phone or something to defend herself with.

After listening to her surroundings once more, Hekele made her way over to a boarded up window and started trying to pull the wood off. After two minutes, she had an opening just large enough for her to squeeze through.

Once inside, she instantly started looking around for a phone. She found a decently sized shard of broken glass and picked it up; it would do for a weapon if push came to shove. After poking around the front of the store, Hekele looked around back. Bingo. She ran for the phone on the abandoned desk and tried it.

There was a god. It worked.

She knew just who to dial. After half a ring, Ms Higurashi picked up, _"Hello? Who is this?"_

Hekele managed a smile at the woman's stressed tone; she was worried... "Mom? It's Hekele..."

"_Hekele! Where are you? Oh sweetie, we've been so worried...thank goodness you're safe..."_

Hekele took a deep and shaky breath, "Mom...it's my...it's my dad; he's found me..." The other end of the phone suddenly got quiet. It took Ms. Higurashi a moment to find her voice.

"_...Are you all right? Where are you dear; we'll come get you..."_ she responded.

Hekele felt tears coming to her eyes, with her energy and adrenaline gone, the fear was beginning to catch up with her, "I-I'm ok...I'm in the slums...in some closed off convenient store...but...I don't know where _he _is...I lost him just a bit ago, but I don't know where...please don't come...I don't want you guys getting hurt...I don't want anyone else getting hurt by him..."

Just then, there was a huge banging at the front of the store and Hekele knew who it was. She let out a surprised yell when she heard wood splitting, and almost didn't hear Ms. Higurashi over the phone.

"_Sweetie, stay on the phone as long as you can; what store is it? Is there anything there to identify it? We're calling the police and we need to know where you are."_

Hekele looked around frantically, the splitting of wood serenading her in the background. Finally, while looking through the desk, she found an old business card that had a logo on it, which matched a picture on the wall out front. "It's called 'Tsuki's Store.' I think I saw a road sign that read, 'Ogawa' nearby..." she said, trying to remember everything on her way to where she was. She heard her father yelling obscenities from the other room and began to sob. She was scared. She had no idea what to do anymore; she subconsciously gripped her make-shift weapon to reassure herself that she wasn't completely defenseless.

"_Hekele...I'm going to hang up now...try to stay as near to that store as you can ok dear? Help will be there soon..."_ Ms. Higurashi commanded. Hekele felt herself nod and, realizing that Ms. Higurashi couldn't see it, vocalized it.

"...Ok..." It sounded weak, but at that point, with the last of the wood breaking away from the front door, Hekele could have cared less. She dropped the phone onto the receiver and ran towards a cupboard. Forcing it open and squeezing her way inside, Hekele prayed that she could control her breathing enough so that her father couldn't find her...

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Sesshoumaru himself was beginning to feel fatigue as well, and it did not bode well with him at all. He had received a call from Ms. Higurashi informing him that _she _had gotten a call from Hekele. Sesshoumaru had felt more relief than he had thought possible at the prospect that she was all right, but then had been informed of what had been happening. So he continued running through what he could only assume was the worst part of a city that Sesshoumaru already held a high level of disdain for.

He was looking for a convenient store that possibly had a sign reading 'Tsuki's Store' out front, and it was supposedly near or on a street called 'Ogawa'. Sesshoumaru cursed the darkness that was quickly falling; it would make things much more difficult with his human eyes if he didn't find Hekele very soon.

The snow was falling still, and that just decreased Sesshoumaru's visibility all the more. He was given a break, however, when he found Ogawa Street. Sesshoumaru picked up his pace and randomly headed down one end of the street, hoping he had selected the right way.

He had ran about twenty yards before hearing a feminine scream sound through the area, loud and clear. He pushed himself forward and swore that in his rage, for an instant...

He had actually seen red.

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Hekele's father yanked open the cabinet door and grabbed Hekele by her jacket, pulling her out as she tried to fight him off. She soon found herself sprawled out on the floor. Before she could react she felt him slug her hard in the face. That would definitely leave a mark.

Hekele used her concealed weapon to stab him in the leg when he kicked her. He yelled in pain and swung at her again, providing her with a bloody lip. Hekele saw him retrieve a knife from his coat and she quickly scurried to her feet in an attempt to put some distance between them. It proved futile when he caught the outside of her thigh with the weapon. Hekele screamed in agony as she fell to the ground.

"An eye for an eye bitch..." It was the first full sentence that he had said to her. And despite the pain in her leg and the blood she was losing, she continued to kick him and try to inch away. Meanwhile, she was also looking for something else that she could use as a weapon...

Hekele's father hit her injured leg with the hilt of the knife and she screamed once more in pain. In her momentary stupor, he grabbed her hands and held them above her head. Straddling her so that she couldn't kick him, he held the knife to her throat

Hekele stared, with both fear and defiance in her eyes, at the man on top of her. He pressed the knife into her neck slightly, causing a thin stream of blood to run down her neck. Hekele winced as tears came once more to her eyes, of both pain and fear. She held her defiant expression, however, not willing for him to see her fear. It was getting harder, however, seeing as he could kill her in an instant if he so pleased.

"How's that feel whore? You've made my life a living hell for the past few months...you and your fuckin' mother. Do you know how hard it is to live a normal life once you've killed someone? And all I wanted were my darling kids too...do you see what you've driven me to!" he yelled at her. Hekele struggled against him some more, not willing to quit.

_I can't die here...I can't leave Rin and Sesshoumaru...or Mom...Souta, Kagome, Grandpa...anyone...I can't die on them..._ she resolved, still fighting. "Like hell all you wanted were your kids! You killed your own son! He was eleven asshole!" It was then that her father put down his knife, shocking Hekele; in all honesty, she had expected him to slice through her throat for that remark...What shocked her more, however, was the handgun he pulled out of his coat pocket.

"I can use this any time bitch...and I promise you, at this range, you **will **die...but where would the satisfaction in that be?"

Hekele just stared at him, suddenly silent and unmoving. Her eyes were wide and fearful, knowing that he was right. She could barely move with him weighing her down, let alone dodge a bullet six inches from her skull.

"Why didn't you just shoot me if you had the damn gun?" she asked, finding her voice. It quivered, however, her words losing their edge as soon as they rolled off her tongue. Her vision was slowly beginning to blur from the loss of blood in her leg and the fatigue of her body. She was slowly losing it...Her father grinned.

"Like I said, where would the satisfaction be? I want you to suffer like I did. But, since you seem so eager to die..."

He leveled the gun down to her head and cocked it.

Hekele wiggled a bit, fighting to try to stay alive, or to at least make it harder for him to shoot her. It was futile, she knew, but she still, despite her fear, wouldn't quit.

"Anything you want to say to your father before you pay what's due?" he asked icily. Hekele never got to respond, however, when from out of nowhere came a fist that hit the side of her father's face so hard that he fell off of Hekele, dropping his gun and having it skid a few feet away.

Hekele blinked a few times before she could make out the tall blur that had suddenly entered her line of vision. "Sesshoumaru...?" He looked down at her then and bent down next to her, looking her over critically.

"Are you all right?" Hekele noted that his breathing was a little uneven as he questioned her. She nodded weakly in response, indicating that she held no wounds that he couldn't already see. Watching her father's movements out of the corner of his eye, Sesshoumaru carefully picked Hekele up, being mindful of her bleeding leg, and carried her behind the store counter.

Still watching her father, Sesshoumaru carefully set Hekele down on the floor and gave her hand a quick affectionate squeeze. "Stay here..." he whispered firmly. Hekele only nodded once more as he stood and left her in the safety of her counter barrier.

Hekele shrugged off her coat and wrapped it like a bandage around her leg. It was soaked, like her, from the snow, but it was better than nothing. She listened carefully to what was happening on the other side of her makeshift barrier; hoping that Sesshoumaru would be all right.

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Sesshoumaru glared daggers at Hekele's father as he picked himself off the floor. He kept a healthy distance between himself and the counter, giving himself room to maneuver without further endangering Hekele.

The man stared at him oddly as he wiped the blood off his lip and reclaimed his knife, which was closer than his gun. "Who the fuck are you?" he interrogated. Sesshoumaru said nothing as he studied the man's movements in case he was preparing to strike.

Not liking the silent answer, Hekele's father charged at Sesshoumaru with his knife. Sesshoumaru easily dodged the angry strike but grabbed the man by his arm and yanked him back to prevent him from getting closer to Hekele. Growling, Hekele's father swung his knife back at Sesshoumaru, who barely managed to dodge it due to their close proximity. He countered with a blow to the man's abdomen, causing him to double over. Sesshoumaru was about to give him another blow when he was suddenly tripped by the man's leg when he suddenly swiped it under his legs. Sesshoumaru fell but rolled to the side to dodge a thrust of the knife.

He kicked the man's hand, causing him to drop his weapon and Sesshoumaru stood up again panting. Being in a human body was beginning to take it's toll on his stamina. One would think that, after everything, Hekele's father too would be so exhausted, but he wasn't. Sesshoumaru surmised that it must be a side effect of the spell; a rather difficult one for him to work with at that.

Seeing Hekele's father make a break for his gun, and knowing full well what a gun did, Sesshoumaru ran to it as well, grabbing the man by his shoulder and turning him enough to punch him in the face once more. The gun was kicked in the scuffle and went skidding towards the counter unceremoniously and the fight went on.

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Hekele closed her eyes and tried not to imagine who was beating who worse. She was worried about Sesshoumaru; he had been visibly exhausted when she had seen him, and her father didn't seem to be weakening at all. It was the spell, she assumed, but if anything, that made her even more anxious.

She saw the gun as it skidded within view of her 'shelter'. She hated guns; despised them with every fiber of her being. Guns were for cowards who were too weak and scared to fight their own battles fairly. Swords and hand-to-hand combat was much more honorable in her opinion.

_But then again..._ she thought as she continued to eye the gun, _when push comes to shove..._

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Sesshoumaru snarled when Hekele's father made move to once more retrieve his gun. He chased after the man and knocked him out of the way.

Hekele's father hissed at him, "What the hell do you care if I kill her anyway? She's just a worthless slut..." Sesshoumaru growled at him in anger and saw red once more fill his eyes.

It was only for a moment, but when his vision returned to normal, the distraction had already done it's damaged. Something hard hit him in the head and Sesshoumaru staggered backwards. He saw stars for a moment as he tried to regain his senses. The hit wasn't enough to knock him out, thankfully, but it did disorient him.

He heard the shot almost at the same instant that his eyes became focused. Alarmed, he spun around and saw Hekele's father fall towards him with a clouded look in his eyes. He was dead even before he hit the ground.

It was when he hit the ground that Sesshoumaru noticed that he had reclaimed his knife, (which Sesshoumaru guessed was what hit him,) and correctly inferred that he had intended to stab him while in his dazed state. Hekele's father glowed a dull black for an instant, but then the corpse returned to normal; the spell was broken. Sesshoumaru looked up once more at Hekele, who was shakily holding the gun.

Trembling, Hekele dropped the weapon, shocked at what she had done. She slumped back to the floor as the pain in her leg became too much to bear while standing on it. Sesshoumaru was at her side in an instant, catching her before she hit the ground and carefully lifting her back into his arms and away from the bloody scene. He set her gently onto the desk of the back room and wrapped his coat around her to keep her warm.

Hekele said nothing, her own eyes a bit dull as she stared at the floor. Concerned, Sesshoumaru sat next to her and pulled her into a firm embrace.

"You did well...do not feel regrets...you did what you needed to in order to survive..." he said carefully, correctly addressing the problem. Hekele began sobbing, the full weight of everything that had happened that day suddenly dragging down the last of her strong resolve. Sesshoumaru grimaced, deeply displeased by her tears, and began idly stroking her hair. He rocked her gently in an attempt to soothe her a bit.

Sirens were heard in the distance and Sesshoumaru mentally growled at the police's horrible timing. If they had arrived sooner, most likely things would have turned out differently. At the very least, Hekele wouldn't have had to be the one to pull the trigger...

Sesshoumaru looked down at Hekele for a moment and gave her a little squeeze. "After the officers are finished with us, I'll take you back to the other era...You'll recover faster and you'll be away from all this..." he promised quietly. Hekele nodded against his shoulder in acceptance and gratitude.

"Thank you..." she said quietly, not trusting herself to say anything more. Sesshoumaru understood and only held her tighter until the officers showed up; Ms. Higurashi, Kagome, Souta, and their Grandpa right behind.

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True to his word, as soon as the police officers were finished questioning them about what had occurred, and after Hekele's leg was stitched and bandaged and she was given prescription pain-killers, Sesshoumaru stole her away from the insanity and took her to the feudal era,

However, in between the stitching of the leg and the going to the feudal era, Ms. Higurashi insisted on Hekele's showering and getting into dry clothes, feeding both of them a nice hot dinner, calling the school and leaving a message indicating that neither Hekele nor Kagome would be in the next day, and finally asking Hekele about a million and ten times if she was all right.

Seeing as Hekele barely said two words during all of the above, she had sufficient grounds to do so.

Once in the other era, Hekele and Sesshoumaru were bombarded with endless questions about what had happened. Hekele only shrunk into Sesshoumaru as he growled lowly at the group for continuously pestering the upset girl.

Eventually, everyone went to sleep except for Hekele and Sesshoumaru. It was odd, but despite their evident fatigue, neither could seem to force themselves to try and sleep. The two were sitting outside of a make-shift hut, gazing at the stars. Hekele was sitting next to Sesshoumaru silently, wrapped in a blanket that he had given her for warmth, still not having said much of anything since the incident. It was worrying Sesshoumaru to see her so silent.

Seeing Hekele's eyes take on a faraway look, he gingerly picked her up and pulled her into his lap, being careful with her still injured leg.

She looked up at him oddly as he pulled her blanket tighter around her and wrapped his arms around her waist gently. "You have not been acting like yourself...and I do not care to see you so upset..." he said quietly. Hekele nodded in acceptance of his answer and laid her head on his shoulder.

It seemed like an hour that the two sat there in a comfortable silence, but it was only a few minutes before Sesshoumaru gave a slightly aggravated sigh.

"You are far too quiet Hekele...it is unlike you to be so void..." he tried. Hekele smiled softly, touched by his concern.

"Am I not allowed to be quiet once in a while," she asked. Sesshoumaru allowed himself to smile as well; she took his bait.

"Never, you are meant to speak constantly of odd and annoying things that have no relevance to anyone but yourself; silence from you is like darkness from the afternoon sun; it isn't natural..." he stated firmly. Hekele actually laughed lightly at his words and sat up fully, allowing her to face him.

"You enjoy randomly turning my mood around don't you?" she questioned teasingly. Sesshoumaru gave her a look of mock hurt.

"I do no such thing...I have a strategic method for cheering you up; randomness has nothing to do with it," he corrected. Hekele giggled a bit and shook her head.

Happy with the outcome of his attempt, Sesshoumaru pulled her back to him and lightly brushed his lips against hers, shocking the girl in his arms. Hekele timidly returned the kiss and when the two broke apart, Sesshoumaru saw the bright red staining her cheeks.

"There's the Hekele I know and love," he whispered to her as she laid her head once more upon his shoulder.

It was then, as Hekele was about to retort, that the two of them suddenly felt a surge of power. Sesshoumaru growled, pulling Hekele to him tightly, neither knowing what was happening. They felt an odd pulsing, at first light and slow, but gradually growing louder and stronger. It took them a moment to realize that it was coming from them.

Their bodies began to glow brilliantly. Hekele's aura shone about her in an aquatic color while Sesshoumaru's own was silvery. As the pulsating increased and their auras shined brighter, they began to dissipate and swirl into a small compacted form. After a final burst of light and power, all that was left was a jewel, like Miroku's and Sango's, floating before them majestically.

Hekele slowly reached out to the jewel and wrapped her fingers around it, bringing it towards Sesshoumaru and herself for a better look. And sure enough, within the jewel was a swirl of their joined auras.

Hekele looked at Sesshoumaru questioningly as the gang, awoken by the bursts of energy, ran up to them from the various areas they were sleeping in out of concern. "What in God's name are these?" she asked quietly, more to herself than him. Sesshoumaru shook his head, his eyes as wide with awe as her own.

"I haven't the slightest clue..." The group, now understanding what had happened, gazed at the mysterious orb as Miroku took out his and Sango's and compared it with Sesshoumaru's and Hekele's.

"How much are you willing to bet that our other coupled friends will have similar orbs?" he asked. Hekele shrugged a bit, still gazing at the jewel.

"I think they may...but the question is...what are they...and why do _we_ have them?"

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**Me-** Suaru! Let me know what you want! I've got a hankering to write another one-shot soon!

**Kachie-** Wow...another chappie done...good job!

**Me-** Thanks! Now, to all of my reviewers...Merry Early Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, and have a wonderful holiday season. Whoever names the song and band that the following lyrics come from gets a song-fic one-shot...Whichever pairing from this story they wish, (except for Kag/Inu and whatever Suaru picks this time around) Implied pairings apply, (for instance, Kohaku/Kanna.)

**Kachie-** The lyrics are: _'And if you're in the eye of the storm, just think of the lonely dove; the experience of survival is the key, to the gravity of love...'_

**Me-** I, in a beginning author note within the last six chapters, have mentioned this band, but not the song. There's your only clue. Happy hunting!

**Kachie-** And review!


	16. Return and End

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hi...I'm sorry this took so long...but...well, there's been a lot on my platter lately...First, I took a few days off for the holidays...then...a whole bunch of bad family things occurred...such as diagnosis of cancer in a favorite relative, who was given around a year to live and who died a month later. It was a lot to swallow...and then a death of an acquaintance of mine occurred on the very same day of that said relative's funeral. I didn't know the kid very well, but his older sister has been a close friend of mine for years...and he was hit by a car...on his way to school...the whole community was in bad shape...

It took a while for things to calm down in my life...plus there were exams for me to contend with...and a whole huge thing I'm working on now involving getting to a college for a trip this summer...money is a problem...and life is just getting in the way of itself right now...

I am in much better shape recently, however, and have updated my other story in accordance with my orderly thing that I tend to do. I am sorry this has all taken so long...

I made a promise to one of my reviewers to start working on this chapter, however, and I keep my promises. So here I am, writing this thing again...I'm sorry if it's not up to par, but I tried...

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing...songs included... (free Valentine's Day song-fic one-shot to the first person to give me the song title and the FIRST person who sung it...any pairing from this story is usable...)

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**Return and End of the Monsters Inside**

Ariel pounded her fist angrily into the water that served as her window. She screamed in her anger at the fools that were defying the spell...HER spell...

"Kotaro! Come to this one at once!" she screeched. She needed to know what was happening. There had to be an explanation as to why her spell was being broken repeatedly by the ones it was cast upon!

Kotaro heeded her words and hurried to her side, not wanting to be subject to her obvious anger and destructive mood. He did not know how to respond verbally, however, because he found himself becoming more and more rebellious of her as time passed. Just a few days ago, he was completely devoted, and even so for a while after he discovered her lies, but after that...he gradually seemed to _want_ to defy her more and more...it was odd...an almost liberating feeling...

"My lady...how may I be of service to you?" That sounded like the right thing to say...didn't it?

Ariel snarled, "Kotaro! How is it that these imbeciles continue to defy the great works of this one's spell! There must be an answer, and _you _must know of how to find it!"

Kotaro hesitated, but shook his head, "No, my lady, I do not know how precisely it is done...perhaps it has to do with the small orbs that seem to appear when they do. Magic fills the air when this occurs, and I have noticed that it is their own auras that make them up. There is more to them than what was originally perceived..."

Ariel cocked her head to the side, "So...this one could possibly tap into this power of theirs and use it for this one's own plans?"

Kotaro turned stiff, "I...my lady, that would be a disagreeable plan...we do not know the precise nature of these orbs or what they can do...and until that much is learned, it could put you at risk..." He did not want to encourage her seeking more power. He hoped that his argument was convincing enough...

Ariel nodded mechanically to herself, "This is true...this one will first attempt to discover the nature of these orbs before putting such rash thoughts into plan..." She paused for a moment as she thought to herself, and looked back at Kotaro.

"Kotaro, do not act so leashed...this one prefers your calmer, more content demeanor..."

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Inuyasha sat atop Kaede's temporary hut and surveyed the camp of the villagers. With the help of his friends and himself, reconstruction of the village was going smoothly, although a bit slowly since the ground was still thawing out. There were about six huts in liveable condition now, though none were completely finished.

Inuyasha caught a scent and looked towards one of the huts, and expectantly saw Hekele emerge with Rin. She appeared to be in better condition than she had been the previous night; she had obviously gotten some form of sleep, though Inuyasha suspected not as much as she should have. She had been up late talking with Sesshoumaru when another of those weird orbs had appeared.

Inuyasha had felt the strange surge of power and had come running to investigate, only to be accompanied by everyone else. Apparently, he wasn't the only person jolted from a peaceful rest by the energy...

"Inuyasha..." swivelling an ear in the direction of the sound, he made no other movements to confirm or deny the person speaking behind him.

"Inuyasha, are you going to sit up there all morning or are you going to help us get back to work down here on a little planet we like to call earth?"

"Shut it Miroku. I'm thinking up here..."

Miroku sighed and shook his head. "That's precisely why I'm concerned. You didn't say much last night after the orb appeared, but have instead been partaking in a very rare thing...well...for you anyway. You've been off in your own world and those of us normal people are beginning to worry..."

Inuyasha growled, "Watch it Miroku, I'm not in the mood for your stupidity today..."

Miroku nodded in understanding, "You're thinking about your situation with Kagome aren't you?"

Inuyasha shrugged, "It came up once or twice..."

Miroku chuckled, "Inuyasha, you don't think enough to focus on one or two different thoughts at once...or to think for such a short time on various things..."

Inuyasha glared at him, "First you say I don't think and then you say I take forever to think! Make up your damn mind!"

Miroku shook his head, "My friend, when you do think, you do not think lightly. You go in depth with your thoughts and don't share them with a soul until they are beaten out of you. Perhaps if you were more open with Kagome, you could patch things up with her sooner..."

"Damn it Miroku, do you really think it's that simple? What if she gets set off again! And not the yelling, I think at this point I could handle that, but what if she loses herself again? I wouldn't be able to fight her...I mean, could you?" Inuyasha pointed out accusingly.

He knew the answer as soon as Miroku's face turned solemn. Inuyasha knew he was right; no member of their little group would have the heart to fight, hurt, and possibly kill Kagome if she went on a rampage like she had that once. It was the very reason that he was still alive after those times he had transformed into a full demon. They didn't have the heart to harm him, and Inuyasha knew that Kagome had the power to do it even then if she had so chosen. Even if they were afraid of him...if they had the thought to harm him, they could have.

Miroku shook his head, "I see you've done more thinking than the rest of us on the subject put together...No...I would be unable to harm Lady Kagome...she is too dear to me as a friend. I see now why you're so hesitant..."

Inuyasha drooped his ears, "If I knew for a fact that it'd be safe...I'd talk to her more...but I'm afraid that she'll change again...and if she does, that the only way to change her back would be to hurt her...I'd never be able to do that...I could never live with myself if I harmed her...necessary or not..."

Miroku bit his lip slightly in thought, "Perhaps you should speak with Sango and Hekele...being even closer to Kagome than I, they may be able to point you in the right direction. Kagura even would be better than myself...I can only speculate..." Inuyasha nodded and hopped down from the roof of the hut. He was about to walk in the direction that he had seen Hekele go in, when Miroku grabbed his shoulder.

"...Inuyasha...you may find yourself in a position where you will have to act against your better judgement, and where you will have to make a choice that would break your heart either way. Just...try to listen to what _our_ Kagome would say to you, and not the words the spell-bound Kagome will...all right?" he advised quietly. Inuyasha sighed and nodded.

"I made that choice once before Miroku...and _you_ saw how close I came to making the wrong one...but it hit me at that last second...and I reached out my hand for Kags instead of Kikyo. I didn't think I could ever make a choice more difficult than that one...but...if it comes down to Kagome living or dying...by my hand...then I don't think I can do it..." he said solemnly, shrugging off his friend's hand and beginning his trek to visit the girls.

Miroku sighed. _There was once a time when he would charge into a fight without a care as to who died as long as they were in the wrong and he survived; then he met Kagome, and was given the gift of someone to protect. He was so brash, even then, but now it seems that, after his altercation with Kagome and the weighing stress of Ariel's wrath becoming more evident, he's aged fifty years. His face no longer holds rebellious youth, but instead the constant sadness of an aged man forever trapped at war. His heart is beginning to fray at the edges, and he remains too deep in thought for far too long._

_Something will happen soon, with Inuyasha this torn and distracted, and Kagome ever changing, the spell upon them may very well strike to its fullest soon. I pray they are both still strong enough..._

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Kagome winced as she cracked her back; she really should have gone to bed instead of hunching over the book and reading so late into the night that she fell asleep that way. She was compelled to keep reading however, for the pages of the book seemed to call to her. There was something buried there that could open a gate to defeating the fallen; she could feel it.

It was odd; as soon as Kagome had opened the book to Ariel's chapter the previous night, she had felt the strangest sensation of need to read its pages. There were over fifty of them in her chapter, and the print of the book was quite small too...

"Kagome child...have ye not slept a wink all night?" Kaede asked as she entered the hut. Kagome smiled sleepily and shrugged.

"Not as much as I would have liked, but I couldn't help it...this book is so odd..." she said, staring at it once more.

Kaede eyed her carefully, "Odd? In what way child?"

Kagome shook her head, "I feel like it's calling me...like it wants to be read. I can't explain it...but I feel something coming from the book...like something in it wants to be let out...not a spirit or anything like that...but..."

"A story perhaps? It is quite possible that an unknown tale is yearning to be unraveled within those pages..." Kaede suggested. Kagome nodded.

"I think so...and I only get that sensation whenever I begin to read Ariel's story...like there's a story within a story there somewhere...one that I can find if I pick up on the right clue..." she admitted. Kaede made her way over to the girl and peeked over her shoulder at the said book. After scanning a few lines, she too felt something pulling on her spirit, and she backed away.

"...The feeling is quite strong...and yet, strangely not evil...it is almost pure..." she thought aloud. Kagome nodded.

"Weird huh? It doesn't even feel like Ariel's fallen purity...just...purity..." she stated. Kaede nodded.

"Well, my dear, lay down and get some well needed rest. Yer mind will be better equipped to deal with this oddity once it's slept enough..." she said, grabbing a blanket from the floor and unfolding it. She handed it to Kagome cautiously. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine Lady Kaede...I don't need rest. I just need to finish reading this thing so I can figure out what to do next..." she said. Kaede shook her head.

"Rest child, the book shall remain until ye awake again. Sleep is in yer best interest now..." she tried. Kagome growled lowly at her when she made move to touch the girl's shoulder.

"I said I'm fine; I don't need your care!" she retorted threateningly. Kaede only nodded and left the hut, though a bit more hurried than usual.

Kagome growled again and turned her attention back to the book. _And it was then that Ariel met Zachariah..._

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"Lady Kagome growled at you once more? This isn't well..." Miroku stated, touching his forehead. Koga sighed and gazed at Kaede.

"It is happening isn't it? The spell within her and the mutt is getting stronger...why the hell isn't there anything any of us can do to help at least curb it?" he asked. Kaede sighed as she put a pot of rice on the open fire for breakfast.

"...It is not our problem. The spell was designed to be broken by their mutual feelings for one another; their feelings for us are not in question, so nothing we do can affect their outcome. It is why, despite the other spells peaking and coming into view, why they have yet to confront each other with the possibility that things may be more than they seem..." she explained.

Miroku nodded, "We could scream it in their ears a thousand times that the reason this is all happening between them is the spell, and they still would not think to try that approach with one another. And if Inuyasha does think to try that route in explaining to Kagome what happened with the fallen, she will only believe that he is lying. This spell cannot be explained away to be overcome...it must be suffered, and in the heat of the moment, your heart has to decide whether or not you will trust the person more than your mind tells you too...and if you do trust them, then the spell will vanish. In this way it is completely ingenious..."

Koga sighed, "But then what happened with Hekele and Sesshoumaru then? And Kachie and I? There isn't some emotional factor driving us apart...it's outside forces. Hekele's father and Kachie's parents...they don't even involve Sesshoumaru and myself..."

Kaede sighed, "I do not know exactly, but I have a theory for ye. Hekele and Sesshoumaru have never had a problem with their relationship, there has never been an emotional factor that threatened to drive them apart. Sesshoumaru wouldn't simply fall for another woman and Hekele wouldn't mysteriously fall for some random male as well. It is too uncharacteristic for either of them, and the other would know in both their heart and mind that something was not right. So, the only thing that could drive them apart was an outside force that neither had control over. Hekele's father had never been found after his crimes, and was the only reasonable thing the spell could throw at the two. It was a long shot, and a weakened state in the spell, and so easily overcome when Sesshoumaru was able to involve himself..."

Koga looked at the ground, "...What about me and Kachie then? Am I going to suddenly fall in love with Kagome or somethin'? That's what kept us apart in the beginning..."

Kaede shook her head with a soft smile, "No...I hardly think that will happen. Ye and Kachie are being molded by outside forces as well; yer mannerisms aren't changing, and that is why everything is clear to ye. Yer 'love' for Kagome was but a mere crush compared to what ye feel for Kachie, and ye were never kept apart by it. Yer feelings for Kachie developed slowly in spite of what ye thought ye felt for Kagome, but Kagome never hindered those feelings, because part of ye knew that she didn't love ye. That time with Naraku was overcome, and the spell would not repeat something that proved so useless anyway..."

This seemed to make Koga feel better; he didn't know what he would do if he found that he had hurt Kachie the way Miroku had discovered that he had hurt Sango; it would kill him inside.

Changing the subject, Koga looked at Miroku, "Speaking of spells, how is Sango doing? Better?" Miroku nodded.

"Yes, I am happy to report. She had a bit of frostbite after that whole thing, but it's healing nicely...perhaps a day or so more and she'll be completely healed. I'll need at least three more days before I'm well enough to do much more than grope..."

Koga rolled his eyes, "We will never understand why she loves you; your habits are disgusting...monk my ass..."

Miroku held a finger in the air, "Former monk..."

"You were never a monk to begin with you lech! You couldn't be!"

"Then explain my holy powers."

"Dumb luck!"

Kaede rolled her eyes. _Perhaps I should go see how the girls are doing...it might prove less childish..._

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Inuyasha looked around swiftly before leaping out of the bushes. He ran and dove into the well, hoping no one followed him. There was something he needed to take care of, and he didn't want to be interrupted.

Hekele had been visiting with Sango, who was still bedridden from her 'ice induced injuries.' He was happy to talk to the both of them at once; it had made it easier.

_**Flashback:**_

_**Inuyasha sighed as he sat near the two girls, his ears drooped. Hekele patted him on the shoulder affectionately, and Sango offered a sympathetic smile. They knew that he was there to talk, or else he wouldn't have been sulking so.**_

"_**So, our dear dog-boy, what's on your mind now?" Hekele asked. He shrugged.**_

"_**This whole thing with Kagome...the spell is going to peak soon...I can almost feel it...and I don't know what to do. I know that it could come down to a fight...and I don't think that I could do it..." he said.**_

_**Sango sighed and looked at her folded hands in her lap, "Inuyasha...there is one thing I know...the spell is trying to separate us...to drive us apart by any means necessary...you can't let it do that...you must stay together...I think that's our best shot at beating the fallen...and I think that's why she cast the spell..."**_

_**Hekele nodded, "I think she's right...Koga and Kachie are apart, Sesshoumaru and I were separated by my father, Sango and Miroku were torn apart by Koharu and that extra spell...and now Kagome's personality change and the possibility of her losing control drives you from her...and then of course there's that thing where she thinks you lied to her about killing the crystal chick...these things are just ways of keeping us apart so that we are weaker and more vulnerable...and easier to finish off..."**_

_**Inuyasha sighed, "It's not...that easy, is it? I mean, if it's so simple...then why can't we just ignore the spell? If we know what it is, then we should be able to render it useless..." Sango shook her head.**_

"_**You're right, it isn't that simple...Even though I knew in my heart that Miroku would never hurt me like that, my head couldn't quite grasp it...and that's what led to my depression. The spell takes what hurts us most...and puts it against us so that we have to overcome it. Twice now I've had to deal with Miroku supposedly leaving me, and it worked both times. Why, you ask? Because it is my worse fear. I love Miroku more than anything...but Miroku is Miroku, and with his past, and sometimes current, habits, it's hard to trust him when it comes down to other women. Even now, I know in my heart that he loves me and that things'll always be ok, but my head keeps screaming that he's a lecher and a hentai. Both happen to be right, but the spell sort of increased what was in my head to the point where I didn't trust him, and that was our downfall."**_

_**Hekele nodded, "Sesshoumaru and I don't have that problem, but all the same, we are stronger when we're together, and I know that I at least am as vulnerable as a new born kitten without him there to protect me..."**_

_**Inuyasha snorted, "Even you aren't that weak..."**_

_**Hekele sighed, "When I am afraid, yes I am. My father frightens me like no other, and I feel so helpless against him because for as long as I can remember, I was. Even if I were to face him in this demonic state, I'd still freeze in fear. Sesshoumaru is my strength then, like he was the other night. I did what I could, but it was worry for him once he found me that gave me the strength to do what I did...or at least the instinct..."**_

_**Inuyasha and Sango looked at her curiously. "What...exactly happened last night? No one would tell us the details..." Sango asked.**_

_**Hekele sighed and looked at the ground, "I...killed him...He and Sesshoumaru were fighting...Sesshoumaru was trying to protect me, but my father wasn't weakening or tiring like Sesshoumaru and I...the spell made him immune to the fatigue, whereas Sesshoumaru, not used to fighting in his human body, had exerted a lot of his energy just to find me in time...so...my father had the clear advantage...and he had weapons...a knife and a gun. So...when the gun got kicked over to me, and when Sesshoumaru was finally struck down for even that instant...and when my father was about to stab him...I did what my body told me to, without even thinking. I grabbed the gun...and killed him..."**_

_**Inuyasha looked at the ground, grim. If the spell had the power to render Sesshoumaru weaker than, in Inuyasha's mind, he ought to have been, and give a normal human the ability to never tire, all while simultaneously making everyone else's life a living hell, there was no doubt in his mind that when the spell finally peaked for Kagome and himself how hard it would be.**_

"_**Inuyasha, never mind all that...why don't you go do something to take your mind off of things...it'll make it easier to sort through everything else later if you have a clearer head. Why not go talk to Mom? She's noticed Kagome's mood swings and is worried...and she doesn't blame you for getting upset with her that day...we told her about her end of the argument...but she is concerned and maybe if you explained to her what's going on...even just a little bit, it'll help get it off your shoulders some more...ok?" Hekele suggested, rubbing the hanyou's back gently.**_

_**Sango nodded, "Yes! That is an excellent idea...go have a venting session with Ms. Higurashi, she'll be glad for it I'm sure..."**_

_**Inuyasha nodded, "Thanks...I think I'll do that..."**_

_**End of Long Flashback**_

And so, Inuyasha now found himself standing at the bottom of the stupid well. He climbed out and, after looking around carefully, darted to the house. He knocked on the back door, (still remembering what happened with Koga that time before Valentine's Day,) and wait ed patiently for it to be answered.

He hadn't long to wait. Ms. H. opened the door within a moment or so and was pleasantly surprised to see him on the other side. She smiled brightly at him, (which made him feel a bit guilty,) and moved out of the way to let him inside. She led him to the kitchen table and got to work on some instant ramen for the two of them; it was nearing lunch time anyway.

"So, my usually puppy-eared friend, what brings you here when Kagome is on the other side of the well?" she asked softly, sitting next to him while the microwave did it's wonders.

Inuyasha sighed, "Well...part of the reason is to apologize...for raving like a lunatic last time I was here...I should have tried to keep my cool...especially with the kid around..."

Ms. H. waved him off, "I've heard the story behind most of that argument, and I'm not upset with you. My daughter isn't immune to making mistakes, and I know that. She has a habit of losing her cool once in a while as well...more now that usual I might add..."

Inuyasha looked down, "...That's the other thing I came to talk about...it's not just Kagome...it's that spell that's on everyone...that's what's effecting her and making her act this way...Our stupid fight started with me trying to explain that to her...involving a situation we had been involved in...she didn't believe me..."

Ms. H sighed, "Or, she did, perhaps, in her heart, and her mind couldn't handle it...so she lashed out at you verbally. It's a common reaction for us humans to have..."

Inuyasha shook his head with a ghost of a smile, "I think it's a common reaction for all creatures..." He looked up when the microwave beeped and Ms. H. got up to get their food.

"Inuyasha..." she began, handing him his ramen and a set of chop-sticks and sitting down across from him. She continued when she had his full attention, which was surprisingly immediately, "...just take care of her...ok? I don't know what I'd do without my little girl...even if she isn't so little anymore..." Inuyasha smiled softly at the woman in front of him. And, shockingly enough, the answer didn't come as difficultly as he would have thought it would.

"Of course...I won't let anything happen to Kagome...I promise..."

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Kagome closed the book and sighed. The story was a sad one, and Kagome couldn't help but understand what it was like to have love ripped from you the way that Ariel had. Back in the day, it was constantly happening to her because of Kikyo, and she could understand why Ariel now hated the world. Why she hated their particular group, however, was still a mystery.

Kagura padded softly into the hut to check up on Kagome, "Hey, you doin' ok?" Kagome sighed, annoyed, but tried to keep her cool.

"I'm fine; I finished reading Ariel's chapter in the book, and I must say, I understand her...I mean, this whole chapter is a Romeo and Juliet love story. She had the perfect love, and it was ripped away from her without a second thought...and she was even punished for it..." she replied. Kagura sat next to her.

"...Sort of like Kikyo was. Kind and loving to the end, only to be revived as a monster that could only learn to hate and destroy. Vengeance was all she cared for, as does Ariel..." she said quietly. Kagome snorted.

"Kikyo may have had her love taken from her, but it was because she and Inuyasha didn't trust one another. It wasn't real love without trust. Here...with Ariel...she and this guy loved each other more than anything. She gave herself away as an angel, but wouldn't be punished unless he revealed her to others. She trusted him, and he told no one. After a while, they moved in together. They stayed that way, in love but pure at the same time, for a year. As long as they didn't 'sin' then Ariel could remain as long as she liked. But...after a year..."

Kagura nodded, "The pressure, so to speak, got the better of them...and she was taken away kicking and screaming."

Kagome nodded, "But neither had regrets...despite that, she loved him and he loved her. While back in Heaven, being sentenced, it was discovered that she was pregnant, and since this had never happened before, they let her go back to Earth...but only until she delivered the child, then she was to be imprisoned in a layer of Heaven...and...even her child would be left behind... The guy, Zachariah, was so full of happiness at the prospect of being able to spend more time with her, and was even happier about their child-to-be. While she cried, he didn't nothing but try to comfort her and make her happy, telling her that he would tell their child about her everyday, and how much he would always love her and everything..."

Kagura had to smile, "Wow...talk about devoted...this guy sounds like a winner. Why was she being punished if she was in love?"

Kagome sighed, "Because she was a pure angel. She was supposed to be above that, to be completely devoted to Kami and Kami alone. It was forbidden...and she knew that...but since love is so unexpected...and so wonderful...she couldn't help it...I mean, when it comes down to it...who can, right?"

Kagura rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Love, is love, is love; nothing can stop it, nothing can curb it, and nothing can deny it forever. Kami obviously is just finding that out. Ariel was pissed, got out of her imprisonment, and is now exacting revenge on the world to spite him."

Kagome sighed, "Yeah...in her hatred and anger she turned evil...fallen in the truest sense...and apparently, we foiled her plans in the future, so she came back here to stop us...why, I still have no idea...I mean, are we so much stronger in the future, or is there another factor?"

Kagura shook her head, "We'll figure it out...does that book tell you anything about her kid?"

Kagome nodded, "It was a healthy baby girl. Ariel got to stay long enough to name her..." It was then that Kagome's eyes widened drastically and her mouth parted in silent realization.

Kagura looked at her carefully, "What is it? Are you ok Kags?" Kagome moved her lips, but at first nothing came out.

"...The daughter's name...that's it...Ever since I've opened that chapter...something was calling to me...something felt like it was trying to escape...like a hidden clue...or something..." she said finally.

Kagura growled, "Well, don't leave me hanging! What's the little girl's name?"

Kagome blinked finally, "...Miko...her name was Miko..."

Kagura's own eyes widened, "Miko...as in, priestess? As in, yours, Kaede's, and Midoriko's title? Is that the same 'miko'?" Kagome tilted her head slightly.

"It...could be...and since the child was half angel...she had holy powers..." she wondered aloud. Kagura shook her head.

"I'm getting Sango; she might know something about Midoriko's origins...she was one of the first miko's, right? I'll be right back..." Kagura jumped up and rushed out the door, intent on bringing Sango to that hut if she had to drag her. Kagome just sat there.

_...I think...something's still missing...part of the mystery...it's still hidden...but it's not in the book...I can't feel it in the book...it's hidden elsewhere..._ And then, as she was standing up to go see Sango, (and prevent Kagura from aggravating her too much,) that she felt something in the air. It was suddenly too thin; like something was wrong. She almost felt like she couldn't breathe, and it was beginning to frighten her.

_What...on earth? I feel so...taut...so...compressed...like a balloon about to explode...like a bomb with a ready fuse..I can't breathe...what is this...?_

_**Hello dear...this one has returned...**_

_What? Who..._

_**I thought you and this one had this cleared up last time dear...this one is you...remember? It was this one who warned you of Inuyasha...**_

_...You can't be me...Who are you really?_

_**This one is you Kagome...**_

_I don't refer to myself as 'this one'...who are you?_

_**...This one took your stupidity for granted...**_

_You're..._

_**This one is Oyu...as this one is sure you have guessed...**_

_Witch...what are you doing in my head!_

_**That's it dear...get angry...**_

_Get out of my head!_

_**No...this one doesn't want to. This one wants to show you something...**_

_Get out of my head!_

_**Don't you want to see how you killed the crystal woman?**_

_...That...that really happened?_

_**Oh yes...you murdered her like you did countless others...but you enjoyed it much more...you've taken well to your demonic state...**_

_Don't show me...I don't want to see that!_

_**Inuyasha...such a fool...do you realize that he is plotting to kill you?**_

"Kagome? Kagome! Are you ok? What's wrong?" Kagura said as she re-entered the hut. Kagome was staring straight out in front of her unmoving, eyes wide...and completely red.

Sango limped in with Hekele's help and the two looked in alarm at their friend. "Kagome? Answer us, please!" Sango pleaded.

_Inuyasha wouldn't try to kill me...he loves me...even if he doesn't always show it..._

_**He thinks you are to dangerous...he and your friends feel that it would be better if you were disposed of...**_

"Kags! Snap out of it! Tell us what's wrong so we can help..." Hekele tried, helping Sango sit down and rushing to her friend. Kagura was right with behind her.

_...My friends...No. You're lying; they wouldn't do that to me! They care about me!_

_**...Like this one thought Kami cared about this one...but this one was betrayed and put into imprisonment in Heaven...**_

_...Kami...didn't betray you...you shouldn't have sinned..._

_**Sin? Is love a sin? If so, then is it not a sin to love Kami as well?**_

_...Well...Hey! Stop changing the subject! My friends wouldn't hurt me and neither would Inuyasha! Now get out of my head!_

"Kags, get a grip! Snap out of it!"

"Kagome! Wake up! If you can hear us, listen damn it!" Kagura yelled. Sango bit her lip, and then painfully stood up and slumped over to the doorway.

"Kaede! Miroku! Somebody get over here! There's something wrong with Kagome!"

_**You will not be swayed in your thoughts then? Even with all the whispers around you?**_

_They would never hurt me! I'm not so gullible as to believe that they would do that to me! Get out of my head!_

_**...Well, if you will not yield...then this one will have to give you a push...**_

"Sango! What's wrong with Kagome! Is she all right?" Shippo asked, bounding into the hut after hearing Sango's distress call. Hearing a growl emerge from Kagome, Sango grabbed Shippo as he tried to run past her and held him protectively to her chest. She looked to Kagura and Hekele, who had reflexively taken a step back, with a mental question of what to do now.

Red flashed out of the corner of their eyes and all in the hut directed their attention back on Kagome. She was glowing a brilliant red, one that matched her eyes. Sango held Shippo tighter and Hekele and Kagura tensed as Kagome began to stand, her glowing eyes looking at nothing.

Frightened, Shippo buried his head into Sango's shoulder, "W-what's wrong with her? Why's she glowing like that?"

"...It's the spell Shippo...this isn't our Kagome...this is the fallen's doing..." she said, not knowing any other answer to give him.

Hekele and Kagura were slowly backing up, sensing the impending danger of their spell-bound friend even as she turned her face towards them. Kagome's expression was unreadable; within it was confusion, annoyance, sadness, anticipation...an infinite mixture that made no sense. They didn't know what she'd do, and it frightened them.

Before another word or action could be made, Kagome charged at Hekele and Kagura, claws flexed and a sneer on her face. Kagura maneuvered out of the way but grabbed Kagome's arm to prevent her from getting closer to the still injured Sango and the defenseless Shippo. Hekele rushed at her, grabbing her other arm, and with Kagura's help, slammed her into the far wall. Kagome snarled at swiped at them viciously, successfully forcing them to back up. She then flexed her claws dangerously as her demonic features, for the first time, turned rigged and threatening. The red glow she was surrounded in seemed to intensify and swirl around her in a similarly warning fashion.

_What's going on! Why am I trying to hurt my friends!_

_**Hmm...this one told you that you needed a push...this one shall leave your pathetic body when this one is certain that the strategy has been successful...**_

_Strategy! What are you trying to do you witch?_

_**...This one knows that the spell reacts and changes you when you are in danger or being annoyed and angered...however...this one believes that the scent of blood on your claws may bring the monster in you to the surface...**_

_Wha...I won't let you do that! I won't let you hurt my friends with my body!_

_**...Too late...you cannot over throw this one's control...**_

"Kagome! For the last time! Snap out of it! You can beat this!" Kagura yelled, gripping her now open fan tightly. Hekele held her sais out at ready, standing, like Kagura, protectively in front of Sango and Shippo. She could smell Inuyasha running towards the village; Sesshoumaru and Miroku, who had been near the river getting supplies for the huts, were on their way as well. Koga must have been downwind, because Hekele couldn't catch his scent to locate him.

It seemed that Kagome too realized that she would soon be outnumbered, for she snarled once more and charged at the group before her. She was lightning quick, and had slashed Kagura's abdomen even before she could call upon the wind to protect her. She likewise turned on Hekele, who, not wanting to hurt Kagome, tried to maneuver to get hold of her friend from behind to incapacitate her. She was met with four claws protruding all the way through her right shoulder. She let out a loud cry of pain and fell backwards towards Sango.

Kagome looked at Sango for a moment, as if assessing the situation, and was about to strike her frightened friend when she saw Shippo curled up fearfully to her chest. Something in Kagome clicked, and she stopped. She stared at Shippo for a second, before dashing out the window at the back of the hut. Sango was startled, to say the least, but glad all the same. She could smell Miroku coming, and she knew it would be ok.

It was then that a fierce battle cry was heard, and the hut was crushed into itself, and the four occupants inside.

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Inuyasha ran for all his might was worth. While eating lunch in the other era, he had felt a distinct energy spike, one similar to the one that Kaede mentioned Sesshoumaru feeling as the spell took full effect. He had suddenly bolted from the table and out towards the well, leaving a slightly confused and very worried Ms. Higurashi totally in the dark.

Once on the other side of the well, his demonic senses told him that there was a strong energy in the direction of the village, and he knew it was Kagome. He didn't want it to be, but in his heart he knew what was happening.

He was on the outskirts of the village, and could see the hut where Kagome had been earlier in plain view, when the energy seemed to explode. And then the hut collapsed. Worry filled the confusion when he smelled Kagura's, Hekele's, and even a bit of Sango's blood wandering through the air.

Sesshoumaru and Miroku burst from the edge of the forest then, obviously having sensed the same thing he had. The scent of blood in the air did not help their worried expressions.

"Go to Kagome Inuyasha, we could smell her pass us just now; we'll tend to everyone here!" Miroku yelled to him as he frantically started to pull away debris in hopes of finding Sango. Sesshoumaru only nodded briskly as he too began digging through the rubble.

Inuyasha caught Kagome's scent and followed it as quickly as his legs could carry him. He had to find her and fix what was happening...even though he had no clue as to how.

_**I hurt myself today  
to see if I still feel  
I focus on the pain  
the only thing that's real**_

Kagome stood in the middle of a clearing a good two miles from the village. She wore a sadistic smile on her face. The blood on her claws felt and smelled wonderful. It was like she had been liberated from some prison; she felt free. Her eyes glowed crimson as the scent of Inuyasha reached her nose. He was coming. Coming to kill her.

_No...he wouldn't..._ Kagome growled and shoved the tiny voice in her heart to the ground. She would not listen to weakness and insecurity. Smelling her own blood, she looked at her arm and saw a faint cut on it, probably from darting through the trees. She felt entranced with it, for she felt nothing.

A rustling was heard, and she turned her attention sharply to the place where she could smell Inuyasha coming. It took only seconds longer, and he was in the clearing with her. She smirked at his light panting, knowing that he had come as quickly as his hanyou body would allow. It, in her opinion, had taken too long.

"Kagome, listen to me! This isn't you!" he yelled at her. Kagome cocked her head to the side slightly.

"No? I think it is..." She charged.

_**the needle tears a hole  
the old familiar sting  
try to kill it all away  
but I remember everything  
**_

Inuyasha leapt out of the way but grabbed her wrist. He spun her to him and grasped her other one. "Kagome! Snap out of it! I don't want to hurt you! Listen to me damn it!"

Kagome whipped her head back and smashed it against his, forcing him back and to let go. She smirked, "Weak...pathetic hanyou..."

Inuyasha growled but kept his cool. He didn't like the way his blood was beginning to boil beneath his skin. He knew what that meant... "Kagome! I promised your mother that I wouldn't let anything happen to you! I won't strike you down, so don't try to make me!"

Kagome smirked as he drew his sword, "You will not strike and yet you draw your blade on me? How hypocritical..."

Inuyasha growled a bit, but the boiling feeling didn't return, and he was put a bit at ease, "You know why I have this Kagome! I will defend myself, but I will not strike at you!"

_**what have I become?  
my sweetest friend  
everyone I know  
goes away in the end**_

Kagome charged at him again, her claws grazing his cheek as he thrust the sword into the ground in front of him to block her. She smirked as he winced. She knew she would enjoy this.

_Stop hurting him! He's only trying to help!_ Once more Kagome shoved her heart down, not knowing why such a foolish thing existed to begin with. Why was there conflict withing her? All this battle served as was a way to get a thorn that had repeatedly pricked her out of her path. She cared not. So why did her useless heart?

"Kagome! Stop swinging your damn arms around and listen to me! You are under a spell! I'm sorry I couldn't help you before, but you wouldn't let me!" he yelled, charging at her, trying to find a way to get hold of her limbs so that she couldn't cut him up.

Kagome saw this and smirked, "Watch yourself..." She charged at him as well, at an angle, and slammed him in the chest painfully. His sword went flying.

Inuyasha winced as he sat up and rose to a standing position, "Damn it Kags...let me help you! Let me find a way to fix this!"

Kagome snarled, "I don't need your damn help! I'm powerful enough without you!"

Inuyasha shook his head, "It has nothing to do with power! I want to protect you! I want to keep you safe!"

"I'm not weak!"

"I know that! You could be as powerful as Kami and I would still try to protect you! I'd give the world to protect you because I love you damn it!" he yelled.

_**and you could have it all  
my empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt**_

"You don't love shit!" Kagome yelled, running at him with her claws extended. Inuyasha barely dodged, and was able to wrap his arms under hers and clasp his hands behind her head.

"Kagome...you've got to listen to me...I care about you too much to let you become this!" he said, trying to hold her firmly in one place.

Kagome became still. Inuyasha felt her drawing in her energy, but didn't know why. He saw her body begin to glow a dull pinkish color and suddenly felt himself being burned.

He screamed in agony as he was propelled backwards across the clearing. It took him a while, but he finally was able to sit up. He was covered from head to toe in second degree burns, and even a few third degree where he had been touching her. Standing in front of him, was a very human Kagome, looking as fierce as any demon, and swirling in miko energy.

_**I wear this crown of thorns  
upon my liar's chair  
full of broken thoughtsI cannot repair  
**_

"I can change back and forth now...didn't you know? You shouldn't get so close hanyou...you could be burned..." she cooed mockingly. Inuyasha felt the blood in his veins boil over, anger and pain taking over his instincts to survive. His aura began to change, and his eyes began to glow a crimson the rivaled Kagome's.

Kagome cocked her head to the side again, "Ho? How interesting...maybe now you'll strike at me..."

Inuyasha snarled at her, but did not move, "...Protect..."

Kagome charged at his fully demonic form, "Protect yourself!"

_**beneath the stains of time  
the feelings disappear  
you are someone else  
I am still right here  
**_

Inuyasha charged at Kagome and she blocked with a shield of miko energy. Inuyasha growled in pain but came at her again. Again and again he charged and she blocked, burning him each time.

_Stop hurting him! Stop it!_ The annoying voice was louder this time, and much harder to shove down, because now it shoved back. _Stop hurting Inuyasha!_

Kagome snarled and hurled a spear formed of miko energy at Inuyasha, hoping to quell the voice inside of her. It wasn't working, "Die you stupid hanyou!"

_**what have I become?  
my sweetest friend  
everyone I know  
goes away in the end  
**_

Inuyasha dodged the spear and it exploded next to him, sending him flying to the side. He quickly rose though and charged at Kagome again. She was about to form the shield of energy when the voice inside of her screamed in her ears.

_This is my body! This is my soul! Stop it!_ In the moment of distraction, Kagome didn't form her defense, and was fully aware of Inuyasha about to crash upon her. She braced herself for impact in the last second.

Nothing, no pain, no blood, just warmth. Opening her eyes, Kagome found that Inuyasha had not struck her, but was holding her tightly to his chest, even in his demonic state. She could feel his claws pressing into her tender human flesh, but it was not malicious. Instead...it seemed desperate...

"...I...won't...hurt you..." he growled out, holding her close to himself so that he wasn't given the temptation. His eyes flickered back and forth from red and gold, neither dominating.

Kagome tried without success to break free; in her human state, she wasn't as strong physically. She focused her miko energy and let it burst from her body like before, sending Inuyasha flying away from her.

She glowered at him, but there was confusion in her eyes, "Why did you not strike me! You should be trying to kill me!"

Inuyasha didn't move from his spot on the ground, but did reply, his once more golden eyes glancing at her dully, "...I promised to not let anything happen to you...and I won't..."

Kagome growled. "You are a fool! I stand before you with the intent to kill, and you won't even strike at me! You are beyond idiocy!"

Inuyasha let out a strangled laugh, "Nah...I just try to keep my promises...I couldn't hurt you either way though Kags...I love you too much..."

_**and you could have it all  
my empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt  
**_

Kagome collapsed to the ground, hands holding her head, "Aaahh!" She screamed in pain.

_See! He loves me! I won't let you hurt him anymore! This isn't me! I will not betray him like Kikyo did!_

"Stop it! You infernal voice! Aarrgg!" she screamed again, holding her head in her agony. Inuyasha saw this, and fought hard to stand. He limped over to her and collapsed on the ground next to her. He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as the pain permitted. He would not leave her alone. Kagome had always refused to leave him alone, even when he thought he wanted her to, so he would not leave her either.

_**if I could start again  
a million miles away  
**_

Kagome slumped into him, "Get away...I'll purify you if you don't let me go."

"...Go ahead...I won't let go..." he said.

_I won't let you hurt him..._ Kagome felt a warmth rising within her, a pure warmth. It was rising within her at an alarming rate. She felt something poking beneath her back and she let out a silent scream of pain. She didn't know what was happening.

Inuyasha looked at her, concerned. He didn't know what was happening either. He held her to his chest protectively, somehow knowing that she was fighting the spell. He recalled suddenly the time when Kaguya had emerged from her mirror imprisonment, and had taken control of him. She had stolen his human half and sealed it in her mirror, but Kagome hadn't given up on him; she hadn't run away. Instead, she made him aware that she was there for him, and had done what she could to reach him.

She had kissed him. The feeling of the light pressure of her lips on his own had somehow called his heart back to him. How could he have forgotten the feeling of affection that had radiated from her at that moment? How could he not have told her way back then that he had loved her, or even realized that she truly loved him?

He tightened his hold on the pained girl in his arms, her body beginning to glow pink, but slowly fading into white, "Kami...I'm sorry I'm such a fool Kags...maybe if I hadn't been so blind before...when you kissed me to bring my heart back...your love was right there in front of me...but I never really saw it...If I had...and if I had been smart enough to tell you how much I loved you...maybe now you wouldn't hesitate to trust me...maybe the spell wouldn't have worked..." The glow coming from Kagome intensified and she screamed once more, clutching Inuyasha tightly as though gripping onto something would lessen the pain.

Inuyasha, not knowing what else to do, stroked her hair, hoping that the slowly purifying light meant that she was winning the battle. He tilted her head up and gave her a small smile.

"You can win Kags...You're the strongest person I know...you'll break free...and I'm right here..." he gently stated. He bent down a bit and kissed her lips, a sweet desperation laced in with the evident love.

Kagome's body suddenly burst forth with white light, glowing with a fierce intensity that began to swirl around the two. A red light soon began to swirl alongside the white and formed a sort of cocoon around the two. The light was so bright that Inuyasha could no longer see the girl less than a foot below his line of vision. From Kagome's aching back exploded two perfect white wings, growing in length until they shrouded the couple almost entirely.

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome in wonder. The swirl of red and white decreased in size until it was the shape and size of the two mysterious orbs that had appeared when their friends had broken their ends of the spell. When the orb was completely formed, it hung on a chain around Kagome's neck, and Inuyasha now saw that she was clad in a pure white kimono with golden lilies embroidered into the bottom half. Her face was calm, and completely angelic in every sense of the word. It was at that moment that Inuyasha realized that he no longer felt any pain. Examining himself carefully, he found his wounds completely healed.

_**I would keep myself  
I would find a way **_

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Inuyasha's astonished eyes returned to Kagome when he heard her breathing change. She scrunched her eyes in an effort to block out the sun, but consciousness had reclaimed her, and she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Inuyasha hovering above her, Kagome whimpered slightly and threw her arms around him.

"Inuyasha! I'm so glad that you're ok! I'm so sorry for all this...I didn't want to hurt you!" Inuyasha felt her tears slide down his skin and squeezed her tightly.

"It's ok Kagome...I know it wasn't you...I know you'd never even dream of hurting anyone you cared for...All that matters was that you beat it in the end..." he said calmly, thrilled to have her back. Kagome shook her head.

"...I hurt Hekele, Kagura, Sango, and Shippo...I couldn't stop Ariel from..." she trailed off, remembering how Ariel had taken control of her body long enough to harm her friends and then bring down the hut on them. Inuyasha only continued to hold her to himself.

"They know Kagome...they know it wasn't you...we've known about the spell for a while...but..."

"...But it already had a hold on me and I wouldn't listen...I'm sorry I'm so weak..."

Inuyasha kissed her forehead and shook his head, "You won...you aren't weak...you just had to have the advantage...and your human form...your miko form...is too pure for an evil spell to fully control...and your heart had leverage when the spell tried to use that form to purify me..."

Kagome rested her head against him and sighed, "...I'm so sorry Inuyasha...I'm sorry I hurt you...both physically and emotionally..."

Inuyasha smiled and nuzzled her lightly, "Stop apologizing and take a look at yourself Kagome...you're an angel..."

Kagome looked at him oddly for a moment and he tugged one of her pure white wings for emphasis. Noticing them for the first time, Kagome's eyes became like saucers as she examined herself. The said wings were enormous and breathtakingly beautiful; Kagome couldn't believe that they resided on her back...

"It's just like...that time when Midoriko merged with me to defeat Kikyo...I had wings like this...she said something about helping me use my powers because I didn't know how yet...because we needed them at that precise time...I didn't understand though...that those wings were really mine..." she said. Inuyasha stood then and helped her to her feet. He then motioned to the orb around her neck.

"I think," he began, "that we need to start figuring out what those things are...and what we have to do to beat Ariel..." Kagome's eyes brightened suddenly.

"I finished reading the chapter on her! I know her whole story up until she was imprisoned in Heaven..." she said happily. Inuyasha grinned as he picked her up bridal style, in too good a mood to be his usual rude self, and began heading back to the village.

"Anything useful?" he asked. Kagome laid her head on his shoulder, a smile playing on her lips as his warmth enveloped her.

"...Before imprisoned...she and a man on earth had a daughter...she was half angel...and Ariel named her Miko...Kagura and I think it may tie to regular mikos...so...we think that if we can learn of Midoriko's origins...we may be able to find a link..." she said, closing her eyes.

Inuyasha nodded slowly, "It's a long shot, but if you're right...it could either be or reveal the weakness we're looking for...good job Kags...get some rest..."

"Arigato...I think I will..."

Inuyasha smiled down at her as the outskirts of the village began to come into view, "Kags?"

"Hm?"

"Aishiteru..."

Kagome smiled, the scents of her friends wafting over her, letting her know that they were safe, and that their injuries hadn't been severe. She peeked an eye open to look at Inuyasha, "Aishiteru too...very much..."

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Ariel's eyes narrowed as she looked into her pool of magical water. The spell had been undone once more, and this time...this time she had been so close. If only Kagome hadn't transformed into her human state, Inuyasha would've been dead, and the rest of the group may or may not have fallen in wake of that 'tragedy'. Her anger, however, did not dwell on that fact. Her anger was directed at something else; something that could not possibly have happened, had occurred. It was a good thing that she now had enough power stored up within her catalyst; her plan could have been ruined if she weren't so far along in it already. In the corner of her eye, she saw Kotaro.

It all made sense now. All the things that ought not to have happened...starting with Miroku and Sango...she now understood it all...

_Only he could have told them this one's true name...this one has been betrayed...Pity...if he had survived the next step of the plan...this one was willing to share command with him...now he will have to die...one way or another..._

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**Me-** Ta da! Remember, be the first to name the song and the original artist, and you win a Valentine's Day song-fic one-shot! Any couple in this story applies! All persons but Kachie eligible!

**Kachie-** Awe...no fair...oh well, I told you which one to use...so I'm happy enough! Review everyone! This story is now over one year old! And still kicking!

**Me-** Whoop whoop! Success rocks! I love you reviewers! You guys have kept this story alive for a whole year now...and my other story is still getting new readers all the time...so you've in turn kept that one alive for _two_ wholeyears! Thank you bunches and Congrats for your awesomeness!


	17. Ariel's Secret Plot and Kachie's Return

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Dearest reviewers, I have returned! Long time no see! I'm sorry it took so long, but as soon as my writer's block took a vacation, my school started MEAP testing...(MEAP is evil,) and I've been suffering for two weeks...also, I've been recently spending some quality time with my PS2...and my darling 'Kingdom Hearts 2' game. I know, poor excuse, but when else am I gonna play? While I'm busy?

By the way, I just got a job...don't hate me...

This chapter is dedicated to tuscandolphin, (or Donamarine,) a buddy of mine who is incredibly close to guessing Midoriko's 'relationship' to Miko. Kudos girl! You rock on ice!

Ok, this is a big combo chappie, but Kachie is making her grand reappearance! Parts of this chappie sort of prelude to the next one, in which she and Koga finish off their end of the spell! Awesome, huh? Most of this chappie will focus on other things though, but sometime before the end of it, Kachie will be reunited with the group. Savvy? Oh, and there is some Midoriko content in this chapter, such as info about her past. This is ALL made up. Got it! ALL made up. I don't want complaints, because for my story, it needs to happen this way...

Happy Easter everyone...the big bunny dropped this chappie off just for you!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Inuyasha, my darling friend laughingstockstables would have her mouth sewn shut and her typing fingers wrapped in duct-tape so that she couldn't fight me for Sesshoumaru everyday. I swear, I've never seen a more persistent girl in my life...trying to steal my man...jeez...(sticks tongue out at laughingstockstables while sitting on Sesshoumaru's lap and wrapped in his fluffy tail) He _sooo _loves me more...

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**Ariel's Secret Plot and Kachie's Curiosity**

"_Man has always feared the end of the world. But the end of the world is inevitable, unstoppable. No matter what man does, good or bad, the planet will one day cease to exist; such is the nature of the universe._

_But time is eternal. Time goes on forever, never beginning, never ending, always moving forwards. With this assurance, hope arises as well. Hope is what truly keeps man alive, for as long as he can hope, he can continue through time."_

"_In the end, if this logic is to be believed, then man need only fear himself, for he possesses a weak heart that knows not how to birth its own light. As long as the world depends solely on the heart of mankind, darkness can one day defeat the light. So, it is safe to assume that the fate of the world may very well lie in the heart of another being, of which only one exists; a final light to man when the cloak of dark covers all._

_The end of the world is inevitable, unstoppable; no matter what man does, good or bad, the planet will one day cease to exist, for such is the nature of the universe. How the world ends, whether in the loving warmth of light, or in the despairing chill of darkness, has yet to be determined,"_ Kagome read aloud slowly, pondering the words as she said them. Inuyasha wore a look of confusion as they slowly began to sink in while the rest of the inhabitants of the hut pondered them as well.

"So, no matter what happens, the world is going to end? We can't stop it?" he asked. Kagome shook her head.

"No, it doesn't mean that Ariel will destroy the world, it just means that someday, in some millennium, there will be circumstances in which will cause the world to end. It also means that the fate of humanity isn't set in stone. Ariel wants to rule the world, but there's still that hope that she won't succeed. There's a person out there, though not human, who can stop her. But it's not a for sure thing either way."

Sango sighed, "It seems like something's missing though; in the middle of the statement, it jumped a bit, like something was left out." Kagome nodded.

"I thought so too...but when I turned the page, it kept going, and it doesn't look like a page has been torn out either. Could it have been lost in translation or something?" she questioned aloud.

Hekele crept next to her and looked at the book, "She's right, there's no torn edges...and it says on the inside cover that it was translated from Latin...I suppose it's possible, but still...it's quite the coincidence that part of something so informative would simply be left out due to translation problems...you'd think they'd just leave that part out of the book..."

Miroku nodded, "I believe that Hekele may be correct, and besides, this text appeared so mysteriously; how do we know that it isn't hiding the missing piece from us on its own?"

Kagome nodded. "True, I guess we've really not learned anything new, have we?" Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"We've learned that your book is bewitched, that Ariel wants the world to end in darkness, and that there is something out there specifically made to defeat her. All we're missing is the how."

Koga looked at him oddly, "The how?"

Kagome nodded, "Yes, the how; how she will try to end the world, how this creature can defeat her, and how we can find this creature to begin with."

It was almost too much to absorb at the moment. Kagome had decided to revisit the book involving Ariel with Inuyasha after she had woken up after defeating their end of the spell, wanting to show him what she had discovered and get his take on it, however, when she had opened it to the chapter, there were added pages to the end of it; pages Kagome knew hadn't been there before. She had read them to the group, (who hadn't taken to kindly to being woken up at roughly six in the morning,) and here they were, pondering what the meaning was.

Kagome rolled her shoulders uncomfortably; her wings had receded into her back before she had woken up, and it still hurt her. Noticing this action, Inuyasha gave her a concerned look.

"Are you all right?" Kagome nodded, setting down the book in front of her as she did so.

"I'm ok, my back still hurts though. It'll fade eventually," she replied. Inuyasha's eyes softened a bit, and he nodded in understanding.

"All right everybody, git! Kagome needs to get some rest! Show's over!" he bellowed, attempting to shoo everyone out of the room. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Inuyasha, I'm fine. Don't be so rude!" she said, embarrassed. Kaede, who had up until that moment had been silent, chided the girl.

"Inuyasha is correct my dear, ye need yer rest. Perhaps ye would be better off in yer own time, where ye could get some better medicine to manage yer pain," she said. Inuyasha gave a curt nod.

"I'll take her; her mom, brother, and the geezer have been worried about her lately," he added. Faced with this knowledge, Kagome sighed. She was stuck in a corner. Apparently, she'd have to go home for a while. But maybe if she did, she'd be able to relax and work out how to locate the missing information...

She 'eeped' quietly when she was pulled from her thoughts by Inuyasha lifting her up bridal-style and walking out of the hut. "Inuyasha! Wait, I need to bring the book-"

"Oh no you don't; if you have that darn thing with you, you'll never get to sleep. And to make sure you do let yourself rest, I'm sticking around. Got it?" he stated firmly. Kagome only sighed, resigning herself to get the book later.

"Two days. I'm not letting you back here for two days; you're resting. Don't look at me like that Kagome, you're too tired to do squat about it and you know it."

Kagome sighed again, redirecting her glare to the ground._ Ok...I'll grab the book a lot later..._

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Kachie opened her eyes slowly and silently glanced around the hotel room. It had only been a few days since her parents had taken her from the Higurashis, but she had been cooped up in that hotel room since the moment she arrived, and it was getting to her. She discovered the previous night that her parents had scheduled a plane to depart late that very morning. If Kachie wanted to make a break for it, and boy did she ever, it was either then or never.

Her parents were still sleeping; it was the first thing that Kachie noticed. The second thing was that it was already six-thirty in the morning, much later than she had wanted to wake up.

Moving as swiftly as she could, Kachie silently crept out of bed and changed into clothes that she had laid out the night before. She grabbed her purse, which had enough cash to get her a taxi back to the shrine if her first plan didn't work. She also filched her father's butterfly knife, (idly wondering how he had got it through airport security the first time,) in case she ran into trouble. She gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror and sighed sadly. Koga would be pissed when he saw her.

Kachie's father hadn't halted the violence after he had slapped her that first night. He had hit her quite a few times since then, and had once threatened her with the very knife she had just stolen from him when he caught her trying to make a phone call. Needless to say, she hadn't tried _that _again.

Kachie quickly put on her shoes and silently left the hotel room. Once she finally made it outside, she opened her purse and pulled out the necklace that Koga had given her. It was still glowing strong.

_This is either my dumbest or most brilliant idea ever...but let's try following the creepy red light and see where it leads me..._ she thought, heading down the sidewalk at a quickened pace. She prayed her parents would sleep for at least another hour...

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Hekele watched as Rin ran around the village with Shippo playing tag. She was still a bit weak after being stabbed in the shoulder by Kagome the previous afternoon, but her demonic abilities were healing her at a decent pace.

Hekele perked herself up a bit when she smelled Sesshoumaru walking up behind her. She turned her head and smiled at him happily, glad for the company. Sesshoumaru returned the sentiment with a small smile of his own before sitting on a rock next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he questioned, noticing how she sat by instead of playing with the children as she normally would. Hekele's smile strained a bit.

"I still hurt from yesterday, but I'm doing better. I'll be fine as soon as I heal a bit more," she answered honestly. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Perhaps you should rest as well. Kagura ended up going back to sleep you realize, and her injury is a bit less than yours. It would do you well to rest yourself," he suggested. Hekele sighed but nodded, knowing that she wouldn't win an argument. Sesshoumaru stood then and helped her to her feet, being mindful of her arm. As the two began walking back to the hut that Hekele, Rin, and Sango were sharing, Hekele spoke.

"I can't help but wonder what these orbs are. We've got one, Sango and Miroku have one, and now Inuyasha and Kagome do as well; They've got power in them, but what in Kami's name are they?" she asked, holding up the orb she had taken to wearing around her neck. Sesshoumaru glanced at the jewel as well and shook his head a bit.

"I cannot begin to answer that. I have never heard of such things forming simply due to deep affection, nor have I heard of them forming from broken spells. They are a mystery indeed. Perhaps after we find a way to reclaim Kachie, we shall journey to the Western Lands. In my palace there is a very extensive library that my father built. There are a great many books there about a great many things; perhaps there is something there that can assist us in both discovering the nature of the orbs, and locating this creature that can defeat Ariel," he stated. Hekele looked at him with wide eyes.

"Go to your palace? Really?" she asked, surprised. Sesshoumaru smirked a bit.

"Yes; though I may surprise a few of my acquaintances when I return with a large number of guests instead of simply Rin."

Hekele smiled, "What's the matter? Don't like to show off your social side?"

Sesshoumaru's smirk broadened, "What social side? I'm a cold heartless jerk, remember?"

Hekele laughed a bit and hugged him, surprising Sesshoumaru a bit, "Only on weekends..."

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"So, Sango, what do you make of it?" Koga asked. Sango sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know. Kagura told me that she and Kagome thought that they had found some sort of a connection between Ariel's child and Midoriko, perhaps when we discover if that's true or not, we'll be able to deduce more," Sango answered. Both Miroku and Koga looked at Sango oddly.

"Ariel had a child?" Miroku asked, astonished. Sango nodded.

"Yes, she was an angel who fell in love with a man on Earth. He knew she was an angel, and that if the two of them sinned, that she would be forced to leave Earth. So, for over two years of being together, they didn't. Even when living with one another they refrained from 'sinning' for a whole year before they gave in. Ariel was immediately put on trial and sentenced, but was found to be with child. Since this had never before occurred, they let her stay on Earth until she had the baby. The father of the unborn child didn't resent her, but loved her and relished in the thought that he had more time to be with the one he loved, and vowed to tell their child about her daily after she was made to leave. He was devoted to the end. Ariel was taken away the very day the half-angel baby was born. She only had enough time to name the little girl."

Koga blinked a few times, "What! You're not gonna leave us hanging are you! What was the kid's name!"

Sango grinned a bit, "Miko..."

Miroku and Koga blinked at her, both in total and complete shock. "Miko? As in a priestess, miko?" Miroku asked. Sango nodded.

"That's why Kagome and Kagura think that there's a connection with Midoriko, since she was one of, if not the, very first mikos," she replied.

Koga blinked again, "Whoa...that would have to be the most unlikely coincidence to ever occur...there's gotta be _something_ there." Miroku nodded his agreement.

"Most definitely; I wonder what the rest of our dysfunctional group thinks-"

"What we think about what?" Hekele said, walking with Sesshoumaru into the hut, Kanna close in tow. Sesshoumaru visibly rolled his eyes at the group, having hoped to have Hekele rest, but with everyone already crowding the place, and most likely talking about something they should hear, he knew that it would be impossible. He chose a seat next to Hekele and was only then aware that Kanna had followed them inside. Kohaku followed seconds later.

Miroku cleared his throat, "About the half formed theory that's been concocted concerning Ariel." Hekele raised an eyebrow and nodded for him to continue. Miroku looked to Sango, who retold what she had discussed with Kagura in a matter of minutes.

The expressions of their friends were similar to their own as it all sank in. The group pondered over the information for a bit, allowing their own thoughts to run for what turned into a long while. Finally, Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Sango, you have the most extensive knowledge about Midoriko; what _do _you know of her origins?" he asked. Sango sighed.

"Not as much as we need. All I know is that she wasn't originally from my village, that she got there when she was around Rin's age," she said. Sesshoumaru frowned.

"I was telling Hekele earlier that perhaps we should take a trip to the Western Lands; the library in the palace is quite extensive, and I can't imagine not being able to find something on Ariel that will at least point us in the correct direction; perhaps we could also find more information on Midoriko. Being a powerful miko, it would stand to reason that there would be information concerning her in a demon's library," he stated. The group mulled it over for a moment before agreeing.

"When would we leave? The sooner we can obtain information, the better," Koga asked. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"As soon as we find a way to reclaim Kachie; it would not serve well to miss an opportunity to rescue her if one is presented."

Koga looked at him, struggling to not show just how touched he was by the gesture. "Thanks..." he said. Sesshoumaru only nodded once more in affirmation; Hekele smiled.

"I'm sure she's ok though Koga. I can't imagine her parents being _that _horrible to her. I'm stunned that her father acted as violent as he did that night; he'd never been like that before..." she said, attempting to reassure him.

Miroku sighed, "We can only hope that you're right Hekele; they are partially under this spell as well. This spell can make people act in ways that they would not normally act, and it can make them quite blind...we cannot assume that Kachie is safe." No one missed the remorseful expression on his face as he spoke, and knew that he was instantly speaking of what the spell had done to Sango and himself. Sango touched his hand supportively, but said nothing.

Hekele's smile broadened a fraction, "Yes, this is true. But, Kachie's dependable, and if she runs into trouble, she'll find a way to get herself out. She may be a ditz, but she's no idiot. Even if something were to happen to her; she'd get out. No worries."

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Kachie looked behind herself periodically as she walked down the street, glancing for any sight of her parents. Her pendant was glowing brighter, and she knew that she was getting closer to the source; it would not serve well to get caught when she was so near to finding out what was emitting the fallen purity.

As she walked past an alley, the pendant glowed brighter, and then faded. Stopping, Kachie turned around curiously and walked down the dark space between the two buildings, mentally hoping she wouldn't get herself mugged. As she walked, the glow steadily increased, and Kachie knew that she was getting very close to the source.

At one point, the pendant looked almost as if it would burst with all the light inside it, and Kachie found herself next to the back entrance of one of the buildings. Biting her lip uncertainly, she tried the knob, and found the door unlocked. Kachie pocketed her pendant, hoping the light wouldn't show through her clothes, and silently walked inside.

The building wasn't very well furnished, but Kachie knew that it had recently been inhabited. She could still smell food in the air, coming from what appeared to be a kitchen. Kachie idly realized that she was in a very small apartment, and was even more cautious as she snuck around. She checked her pendant, to be sure that it was still glowing, and found that its intensity had increased severely. Knowing that the source was somewhere in the apartment for certain, Kachie became bold and began looking around.

She found the place littered with books, and upon closer inspection, they were all spell books. She also found white crystals all over the place.

_Hold it...crystals? Didn't that chick that attacked Kags and Inuyasha come from a crystal? _She thought to herself. She steered clear of the crystals and entered another room.

It was odd, there was an alter, it appeared, and a large painting of a fallen angel with long black hair and blue eyes. The painting was breathtakingly beautiful, and Kachie felt drawn to it somehow. She walked closer, and out of sheer curiosity, touched the painting. Her hand was surrounded in darkness as is somehow penetrated the picture. Stunned, Kachie quickly pulled her hand back, finding it to be just fine. She took out the pendant and found it to be glowing brighter still, and Kachie idly wondered how it could glow so bright without exploding. She was mildly convinced that it would blind her by the end of her expedition.

Setting her jaw into a firm line, she made her choice. Pocketing her glowing pendant once more, Kachie took a deep breath, and walked through the painting. She was surrounded in darkness, but only went forward, mentally praying to Kami that her luck wasn't about to run out on her. Then she saw a light, it shined all around her, forcing Kachie to close her eyes. When she opened them, she was in a room.

The room appeared to be set up like one in the feudal era, Kachie noted. She could smell spring outside, life returning to the land, and smiled softly at the effect it gave her surroundings.

_Hold it...I can **smell** spring?_ Kachie looked at herself and saw demonic markings on her arms, and felt fangs as she rolled her tongue over her teeth. She was demon. _But that would mean that-_

Suddenly Kachie felt two strong arms wrap around her, a hand covering her mouth swiftly. She struggled against the person, and found it oddly simple, as if it were a human. As if sensing this, her attacker pulled her tighter, and suddenly Kachie was aware that she was dissipating. Her legs were disappearing, as well as she rest of her body. Panicking, she struggled more, but the figure holding her held fast.

It was an odd sensation, she felt no pain, only numbness. She felt like she was still whole, and floating. All she saw was darkness, the same darkness that had taken her to that room. It only lasted a moment though, and as quickly as the odd sensation occurred, it ended.

Suddenly Kachie was in a forest, and her 'attacker' let go of her, quickly backing away. She rounded on him, her anger showing through red speckled eyes. He held up his hands before her, as if trying to calm her, and spoke.

"You don't know me, Kachie, but I know you, and I promise not to harm you. But what in God's name were you doing there! Do you know how close you came to getting yourself killed!" the man asked. His hair was brown, and quite unruly. His eyes were a honey-tinted hazel, and his face seemed long, and almost wise. He had a build, as Kachie had imagined from the strength he displayed.

"Who are you? And what the hell are you talking about?" she asked, taking a fighting stance. The man only looked at her beseechingly, startling her slightly.

"My name is Kotaro, I am with the fallen. Do not be alarmed, for as I said, I will not harm you. I have taken you to the forest just outside the village where you and your friends stay. I imagine that Koga will be on his way here to find you within moments."

"If you're with the fallen, then why did you help me?" Kachie asked, skeptical, though her sense of scent told her that he was telling the truth about her current location.

Kotaro smiled lightly, "Because appearances are deceiving. You were fortunate that Ariel was still sleeping. Warn your friends; she is resting for an attack, and will strike soon. Especially now that you've returned to them. She'll strike very, very, soon." With this Kotaro vanished in the same way that he and Kachie had appeared there, and Kachie sensed Koga's aura coming her way even before she could smell him.

She smiled slightly as she inhaled the scents of the feudal era, and of the emerging spring, "I'm home..."

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Koga ran faster than he thought possible without the aid of Shikon shards. He had smelled Kachie's cinnamon-like scent while helping some of the villagers and Miroku cut wood for the huts. There were only a few more to go before things were back the way they were before the attack, and everyone was anxious to get done.

But then he had smelled _her_, and without a second thought, took off in search of the scent. It only took a minute or so, and as Koga all but flew through the trees of the forest into a small clearing, there she was, standing there looking at him with an expression so happy his heart swelled.

Koga ran up to her and swept her into a giant hug, which Kachie fiercely returned. He held her tightly to him and kissed her passionately on the lips. He pulled back from her a bit and stroked her hair lovingly, fighting back a couple of tears when he felt her own staining his face.

"I missed you Kachie-chan...I was worried about you..."

Kachie smiled again and rested her head on his shoulder, hugging him tightly. "I missed you too Koga-kun. You've got to tell me all that's happened; I have a feeling that I've missed a lot since I've been gone..."

Koga nodded against her head and pulled away from her to look at her, "Yes; you've got no idea how much you've missed since-" He abruptly stopped when he saw her bruised and battered face. His eyes grew cold and his face dark.

"He hit you? He fucking hit you!" he snarled angrily. Kachie gave him a pleading look.

"It's nothing...I'm ok. I'm here aren't I? I got out when I needed to, just like you told me to; ok? I'm fine..." she said soothingly, giving Koga another hug, having missed him more than she had thought possible. When she felt his anger seem to dissipate, she smiled a little and hugged him tighter, in all honesty not wanting to let him go.

Koga took a deep breath, inhaling her scent to calm his rage, "...How did you get here?" He felt Kachie shrug.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the village; I have a feeling if I don't I'll be explaining myself at least half a dozen times..." she replied. Koga nodded slowly, turning her towards the village and guiding her there, afraid that if he let her go for an instant, that she may be taken away again.

"...It's good to have you home Kachie..."

Kachie smiled and laid her head on his shoulder as they walked, "It's good to be home Koga..."

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"When did Kachie rejoin them! How!" Ariel yelled as she gazed into her pool of water. She had only awoken moments ago, but felt it imperative to check in on her enemies. When she gazed at them, she saw Kachie, the girl who had been taken away by her parents, sitting with the group of insolent wretches with a large smile on her face. Ariel was only mildly satisfied to see her face as bruised as it was.

"I...do not know my lady; I assume she found her way back to their well and came through. But the spell is still active, so there needn't be a reason to fret..." Kotaro tried, controlling his voice to keep the guilt from it. Ariel snarled.

"Go! Leave this one in peace! This one wishes to contemplate this development alone!" she cried, anger laced in her voice. Kotaro bowed to her and quickly retreated through the door, more than a little hesitant to stay any longer.

Ariel rested her head on her hand as she tried to calm herself. It wasn't that Kachie was a threat; it was that she had overcome the bindings of the spell and reappeared into the picture without Ariel having a clue as to why. The fallen looked to the door and narrowed her eyes. She could, if she truly attempted to, sense the remnants of Kachie's aura within hers and Kotaro's hidden home. She had probably found, somehow, that stupid painting that served as their portal, walked through, and Kotaro had whisked her to safety before Ariel had awaken. It was the only solution. If Kachie had come through the well, she would have brought Kagome and Inuyasha back with her, but they were still in the other era, probably eating lunch at this point.

"How dare he betray this one...he will pay for it when we strike at them, for that is when this one shall unleash the power stored in his body, and this one's vengeance." She looked at the pool, and raised an eyebrow at what she could faintly hear being said in the image.

"Perhaps this one shall wait a day, and cause more destruction yet..."

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Kachie nodded slowly as she absorbed all the information given to her. Apparently, since she was gone, Sango and Miroku had broken a spell apparently put on them by the fallen, (with the aid of Kotaro,) and had formed a weird orb; Hekele had been run down by her father, (part of that darn spell,) only to be saved by a human Sesshoumaru, who she then saved by shooting her father, and then _they_ had formed a weird orb; Kagome had then gone psycho on the group and had nearly killed Inuyasha via purification powers, (since she can apparently now transform back and forth between her miko and demon forms,) and had sprouted angel wings and beat yet another part of the pesky spell...after which _another_ weird orb formed. By the end of the story, (magic book that writes information in itself as it pleased included,) Kachie only had one question.

"What the hell are those weird orbs? You never really explained that part to me..." she asked seriously. Koga sighed.

"We don't know what they are...we don't have the slightest clue...at all..."

Kagura sat on the other side of Kachie in an attempt to keep Hekele from glomping the poor girl in all her excitement of having her back, "I can't believe that _you_ were in the enemy's hide-out and never knew it..."

Kachie growled in frustration, "I was only there for a couple of seconds! Leave me alone!"

"I guess Kotaro really is on our side then, if he was that insistent about getting Kachie away from Ariel and bringing her so close to the village. I suppose I still didn't quite trust him up until now..." Sango said quietly. Everyone looked around nervously, not knowing if Miroku had divulged the information to her that Kotaro had killed her in the future. By the slight nod from Miroku, however, it was understood that he had, or if not him, then someone.

"Well, he did really seem to feel bad about it Sango...not that it makes it right or anything of course...but still, I guess this is his way of trying to make amends..." Hekele tried, not knowing what else to say. Sango seemed to receive this reply well, for she nodded.

"I suppose that you're right. But still, forgiveness for something like that is difficult..."

Miroku smiled and patted Sango's shoulder. "I do not believe that he wants forgiveness, Sango, only for us, and you, to know that he has deep regrets; one does not need to forgive to understand that..." he said wisely.

"Guys." Everyone turned to face Kachie curiously. She bit her lip. "He, Kotaro that is, said to warn you that Ariel was resting up for a big attack, and that it would be very soon. He genuinely looked worried."

After taking a moment to absorb her words, Sesshoumaru looked to the group, "It would be best if we left soon for the Western Lands then. At the very least we'll draw the attack away from the village; at most we'll find the desired information at my palace."

Koga nodded, pulling Kachie to him subconsciously, "Hai, the sooner we leave the better. Who's gonna tell Kagome and the mutt?"

Kachie, leaning happily on Koga, grinned, "I believe that is a task best left to me..."

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"Kagome, you need to get some sleep...your shoulder is bugging you again sis..." Souta said softly as he watched his older sister stand up from her bed. Kagome put her finger to her lips to hush her brother before Inuyasha heard him and woke up. The black haired human had fallen asleep soon after bringing Kagome back to her era, being more exhausted himself than even he probably knew. Kagome wasn't tired, but didn't want to wake him. She still felt guilty about having hurt him so badly. Sure, she healed him afterwards without knowing it, but he was still tired, and she couldn't shake the shadow she knew would follow her for the rest of her life. She had almost done what Kikyo had done; betray him. For that, she would forever be haunted.

"C'mon Souta, he needs his rest too..." she whispered, sneaking off her bed and quietly tip-toeing around Inuyasha, who was sitting with his back rested against the side of her bed.

Downstairs Kagome had to all but fight off her mother's attempts to get her back into bed. She sat at the kitchen table eating a grilled cheese sandwich, watching her mother with a smile on her face. She worried too much. Or maybe it was Kagome who had developed a habit of not worrying enough, who knew?

She sipped her milk and took another bite of her sandwich, shaking her head as her mother began to tell her how she should still be resting and how Inuyasha had the right idea. All talk stopped, however, when there was a knock at the front door.

Ms. Higurashi glanced at the Kagome as she headed for the door, "Who could that be? Everyone we know comes to the kitchen door..." As perplexed as her mother, Kagome stood up and followed her to the door, peering over her shoulder at the silhouette shown on the fogged glass window. Ms. Higurashi opened the door politely, and both her's and Kagome's jaws dropped simultaneously when they saw who was on the other side.

Kachie grinned from ear to ear at the faces. "Hey Mom, hey Kags...how've you been?"

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"_**Kyaaaaaaahhhhh!"**_

Inuyasha woke with a start, jumping up to prepare for a fight before losing his balance and falling back down. Looking around quickly, he noted that Kagome was missing and he frantically ran out her door looking for her, afraid that something had happened. Once he got to the bottom of the stairs, he simply stared at the scene in complete and utter shock.

Kagome was squeezing Kachie, who had appeared out of nowhere, to death, while her mother looked like she was going to faint. Inuyasha slowly, disbelievingly, made his way down the last few steps and stared at Kachie for a long moment before grinning a bit and ruffling her hair affectionately.

"You stupid shrimp! You had everybody worried about you! Dumb ass..." he said in a falsely stern voice. Kagome beamed at him slightly before squeezing Kachie again. She let go for a moment and her mother, tears brimming at the sight of Kachie's bruised face, pulled the girl into a tight embrace. She gave her a kiss on the top of her head and held her fiercely.

"I was worried sick about you...I'm so glad that you're in one piece..." she said quietly. Kachie's own eyes held tears in them as she hugged her 'mother' tightly in return.

"I had to wait until I knew when we were leaving...they were keeping tabs on me so I couldn't call or anything...I made sure to wake up early this morning and left. I followed the pendant, which was glowing like a trillion watt light bulb by the way, to the source of the fallen purity. It led me to a building with a painting of a fallen angel in it. When I touched the painting, I went through...it was a portal to the other era...so I ended up there..." she explained. Kagome's mother pulled away from her slightly and looked over her face, touching a few of the bruises sadly.

"Tell us about that later dear...right now I'm going to call the police about what's happened. It could help us; is that all right?" she asked. Kachie nodded.

"That's a good idea..." she consented, before turning to Kagome and Inuyasha, "I came here to tell you that Ariel is planning an attack, relatively soon. The gang is going to head to Sesshoumaru's palace to try to find information on Ariel, and hopefully Midoriko. As soon as you can, get over there and get ready to live...I have a feeling it's be best for me to stick around here for a while..."

Kagome nodded, "Ok, thanks for letting us know...where's Koga?" It struck her as odd that Koga wasn't clinging to Kachie for dear life at the moment...

Kachie smiled, "I was getting squeezed to death, so Hekele and Sesshoumaru saved me and put him to work. He should be here any minute though..."

Inuyasha smirked a bit when he heard bickering coming from outside. "I think Hekele's still harassing him..."

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"And that's when you ran away, correct? This morning?" the female officer asked. Kachie nodded solemnly.

"Yes, and then I walked around for a while, I probably would have gotten here earlier, but I moved slowly. I didn't want them to find me, which is stupid because they probably know exactly where I am. Where else would I go, you know? I guess it was an instinctual thing..." she said thoughtfully, wondering aloud about her own behavior as she explained it.

Koga, who was sitting next to her, squeezed her hand tightly. He had sat there for the past hour listening to what had happened after she had been taken away. He was angered as he listened to the whole ordeal; how she had been shut up in the hotel room, how she hadn't been permitted to contact anyone, and the abuse she had received all caused him to hold her protectively, not willing to allow it to happen again.

"I see...well, there isn't much we can do right this moment but inform them of the complaints against them and file this report to a judge. If it ends up going through, and the Higurashis gain custody, your parents will most likely not have any rights to you what-so-ever, as you will be made a permanent citizen of Japan. Do you understand this? As upset as this occurrence has made you, I can't see that you would want to be completely cut off from your family...you do not appear to bear as much anger as you do confusion and betrayal towards this..." the officer explained, gauging Kachie's reaction.

Koga looked at Kachie out of the corner of his eye and felt the same thing. He did not see hate or resentment in her face, only sadness. "Kachie, no matter what you pick, no one'll be mad at you. It's ok. We can understand if you don't want to leave them forever..." he said. Deep down, he _wouldn't _truly understand, but he would respect her thoughts and decisions, it was only right.

Seeing Kachie bite her lip, Ms. Higurashi smiled and rubbed the girl's back, "He's right dear. We'll fight for you tooth and nail if we have to, but only if you want us to. We're behind you one hundred percent no matter what though, all right?"

Kachie smiled at her, and at Koga, Kagome, and Hekele, who were all in the room with her and the officer. Grandpa was standing nearby and Souta was sitting in the stairwell as well, showing their support. Kachie felt an odd warmth rising in her chest at the thought that they were all sitting there, ready to do whatever it took to help her. Her love and her family. Kachie squeezed Koga's hand back and looked at the ground, thinking.

Yes, this was her family. Never had she felt so safe and secure in her entire life. Even after all the dangers she had faced in the feudal era, this place was her home, _that _place was her home. This family was hers, she belonged here, nothing felt more right in her entire life...

"I understand, but, this is my home. I...I've never felt as at home and safe, and loved as I do here and now...Even before this whole ordeal, when there was nothing wrong with my relationship with my parents, never did anything feel this right...I want to stay here..." she said firmly. The gentle and sincere smiles on the faces of the people surrounding Kachie made the officer smile as well as she wrote a final note, shook their hands, and promised to get the case to court as soon as possible, and that Kachie would remain in the Higurashis' custody until that day. She smiled again as she gathered up the paper work and walked to the door.

She had a feeling that everything would work out for these people. She didn't know why, but there it was, that feeling, and it made her warm inside to know that there were still good people in the world.

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Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples as Jaken began his routine monologue. Once the toad started talking, nothing could make him quit. Except...

"Jaken?"

Jaken looked up at his master adoringly, though there was a hint of fear in his expression, "Yes Milord?"

"Shut up."

"Aye Milord..."

Hekele had to stifle a triumphant giggle when Jaken began to mope. She never truly had a soft spot for the toad, and enjoyed tormenting him whenever she had the chance, (which was hardly ever nowadays...)

The quest westward to Sesshoumaru's palace hadn't taken long. In fact, as soon as Hekele, Kagome, and Kachie hijacked a few kimonos to help them blend in a bit, the group had set out. It had taken no more than five hours of slightly labored running to get them there, and the sight of the beautiful palace made it worth while.

The guards were, as Sesshoumaru had predicted, were a bit surprised to see him return with guests. Especially the plural part. They were ready, however, and waiting for their lord's arrival. The group was then escorted to the palace, where Jaken had been waiting. After a polite hello, the toad had begun his usual ramble.

"Lord Sesshoumaru? Why have you returned so suddenly? We may have been able to properly organize a more suitable welcome had we been given knowledge of your plans to return. Though your presence is most gratifying..." Jaken spoke up again. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He looked to Hekele almost pleadingly. She smiled at him, getting the hint.

"There is a fallen angel by the name of Ariel wreaking havoc, and she seems to have it in for us because apparently in the future we foil her evil plans of world domination-"

"-So she brought her boyfriend back here with her to try to kill us before we got strong enough to beat her. Then she cast a spell on all of us, which most of us have broken already, in hopes of making us weaker. Well, since that isn't working, she's apparently trying some other scheme to kill us-" Kagome cut in, only to be cut off by Sango.

"-Then her boyfriend turned on her because his conscious got to him and he's been helping us out. He's the one that told us that she was planning something, also, we've got this book that told us all about her history, and we found that she may have had a sort of connection with Midoriko. When we went back to look at the book again-"

"-We found that it had written more inside itself and it gave us a sort of idea as to how to defeat her, apparently, it's this creature, of which there is only one of. So we came here to look up info on Midoriko that could confirm our suspicions of there being a connection as well as an idea of what this creature may be and where we can locate it," Kachie added.

Kagura, ever the blunt one, finished off the tale, "Basically, we came here looking for a way to kill the bitch...which way to the library?"

Jaken stared at the group of girls, his mouth agape, unable to process the truckload of information dumped into his brain all at once. He pointed down one of the halls, "Fifth door on the left..."

Rin smiled at Jaken sweetly, "Thank you Master Jaken!"

As the group headed unceremoniously towards the library, Sesshoumaru grumbled to Kagura under his breath, "You do realize that I could have pointed you to the library myself, correct?" At this, Hekele bit down a giggle and Kagura smirked.

"I wanted to give your toad a headache or a heart attack...whichever came first..."

"You gave _me _a headache."

"You were born with a headache Sesshoumaru; I don't know how Hekele puts up with you..."

At this, Hekele finally let out the offending giggle.

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Miroku grumbled as he shoved another book away from himself. His stack of reading material was getting smaller by the hour, but even as a demon he was getting tired. Sango had already fallen asleep with her head cradled in her arms on the table, as had Kachie in a chair in the corner and Koga on the floor next to her. Rin and Shippo had been taken up to bed hours ago, and Kagome looked like she was about to keel over onto Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha himself didn't appear to be too much better off.

"Anything Miroku?" Kagura asked as she picked up another book. Miroku shook his head and looked to Kanna and Kohaku.

"You two find anything?" When they shook their heads as well, Miroku sighed.

Sesshoumaru closed the book he was glancing at, "Perhaps we should all go get some rest. I doubt we'll be able to continue this in the morning if we all fall asleep down here. It'd be better to get the rejuvenating sleep we require." He looked over at Hekele, only to find her not listening, her nose too deep in the book she was reading.

"Hekele?"

"_Hope is needed for time to exist, for without hope, there is no need for time. Man, however, believes it is time that creates hope, and so should time stop, he would lose that hope. Much like losing sight of a single candle in the seemingly eternal dark._

_This apparent confusion in the great web of life is both an incredible defense, and a double edged sword. Evil knows not where to strike, for all beings revere time and possess hope; attacking one can strengthen the resolve of the other, which can lead to resistance and overall victory against the evil. However, if evil were to attack both units of existence, and attacked them well, both would fade and man would die, for man knows not what to do when he loses sight of that single candle in the seemingly eternal dark._" she read aloud. The passage caught Sesshoumaru's attention.

"Hope and time? Was that not where the passage Kagome discovered left off before the odd break?" he questioned. Hekele nodded, her eyes wide.

"Sesshoumaru..."

"What is it?"

"...This is it...this is what we're missing..."

"Yes, that passage, but we can't even be sure if it truly belongs to the same writing."

"No...look." She showed Sesshoumaru and the rest of the awake group the pages. On those pages was the entire passage, including the parts Kagome had read.

"But...how?" Kanna asked. Hekele flipped back a few pages.

"This is Ariel's story...her whole story...and these pages here...I think it's all a prophecy...this large section before it is what the book Kagome and I found says word for word. This whole thing is Ariel's chapter...this must have been what the author used to as a source...so it's more complete...Look, there's even more information on her daughter...right at the end of the book...

"_And the Nephelium child grew to a young woman traveling across the lands and seas. She held a power unlike any mere holy figure, and could purify even the darkest of demons. Afraid of being discovered for the half-breed that she truly was, she shed her name, but kept it as her title, for she became Midoriko, the first of many mikos destined to walk the lands. Me._" she read softly, deep in surprise. Kohaku blinked a few times before looking at the end passage over Hekele's shoulder.

"So...the author responsible for this book is Midoriko herself...and she wasn't just connected to Miko...she _was_ Miko..." he said. Miroku nodded.

"It seems that the assumed prophecy was one that she herself made. She must have wanted it to be found...but how did this chapter, written clearly in Japanese, manage to become translated into Latin, and then _back _into Japanese so that all important information was lost?" he asked. Kanna snapped her fingers.

"Zachariah! Midoriko's father! She must have traveled here to Japan and decided to finally settle down, wrote and made a copy of this as a gift for her father in remembrance of her and her mother! Words could have been lost in translation right then."

Hekele nodded, "And then, as time passed, languages changed, evolved, and died out, so when this was re-translated into Japanese, even more of the dialect was difficult to translate, and since no one would know any better, they just left it out..." The girl looked dejected, and quite troubled.

Kagura looked from her to the prophecy, "What does this new excerpt of ours mean though?"

Hekele felt Sesshoumaru take the book from her hands, but her worried and disbelieving eyes continued to stare at the spot where it had lain in her lap for a moment. "I think she's going to..."

Sesshoumaru, his own face becoming gravely troubled, finished for her, "She's planning to stop the flow time."

Kagura's face lost all color, "Oh...shit..."

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Ariel stretched her arms above her head elegantly as she stared at the palace in the distance. "It truly is stunning, isn't it Kotaro?" she asked. Kotaro nodded.

"It is my lady...but what are we doing here?"

Ariel smiled secretly, "Because, soon it will be ours."

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**Me-** Wow...took me long enough, eh? The important thing is, I'm still here, and I intend to keep updating. Even if it takes me one thousand years, I'll finish this story. We are, I am sorry to say, beginning to wind down...I'm not sure how many chapters are left...but still...the bulk of it is over...

**Kachie-** She's gonna stop time...

**Me-** Oh be quiet...

**Kachie-** She's gonna stop time...

**Me-** She can try...there's still that "creature" out there to stop her...

**Kagome** Wait, wait, wait...what's with the quotation marks? You wrote **"**creature**"**. What's the deal?

**Me-** You guys only called it a creature because you didn't know what it was...so...if anyone can tell me what this final light in the darkness...

**Inuyasha-** You'll give us ramen?

**Sesshoumaru-** No...she'll dedicate the whole rest of the story AND a one-shot to whoever gets it...that is...**_if _**anyone gets it...it isn't exactly obvious...

**Me-** Also, Kachie's got a deviant art account. You all should go check out her profile...there's this hilarious pic with Naraku in it...just a chibi though...her alias on there is: Afflicted Rayven. Go and check out the one that has 'randomness' in the title...that's the Naraku one...you will either die of a heart attack or laughter...I haven't quite decided how to die yet...

**Kachie-** The first person to view my pic AND accurately describe it, (in general of course, no need to get SUPER specific,) will get a one-shot song-fic with the pairing of their choice...happy hunting!

**Me-** And review! Happy Easter everybody!


	18. Bittersweet Victory and the Orbs Purpose

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

(Dodges sharp flying objects...and blunt heavy ones...) I'm _sooooooooooo_ sorry that I haven't updated...I had the worst writer's block known to mankind, then I had final exams, and just the other day I was fired from my job 'due to my work productivity' even though I am still new and they never finished training me, (I failed at McDonald's. Pity me all,) and I've been preparing for my trip to Alaska, (I'll be gone from June 18th thru July 2nd,) trust me...with no steady income and a debt to pay to my father for the one part of this trip he _wasn't_ paying for still not paid up like it was supposed to be, (thank_ **you**_****McDonald's,) it's been no small feat. I also just took the ACT this past Saturday...and I am nervous as all hell about the results...

As you can see, I've been busy dying. But my Kachie/Koga one-shot saved my sanity, and now I am back. I am sorry that it took so long. Really and truly, I am sorry.

Now, onto business. This is the Kachie/Koga cure chapter, but it has lots of other elements to it as well. (Ok, I just spelled 'weel' while trying to type 'well' five times before I got it right...someone hand me a coffee...)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. If I owned _anything_, trust me, I'd let you know...

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**Bittersweet Victory and the Orbs' Purpose**

Koga stared dumbly at Hekele as she retold what had happened after he had fallen asleep. Kachie seemed just as shocked. The blonde demoness had found a book that told the entire prophecy, (apparently what Kagome had discovered in the _other_ book had been two parts of the whole,) and how Midoriko and Miko were connected. They were the same person.

"This whole thing is making my head hurt," Koga said as he tried to make sense of it all. Kachie nodded.

"So, Midoriko wrote that thing...did she hint at what the creature was that could stop Ariel?" she asked. Kagome, who was reading the passage again, shook her head.

"No, nothing. Sesshoumaru, are there any sort of demons that can eat fallen angels?" she asked half-heartedly. Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"If only such a beast existed. No demon would ever be able to touch Ariel without getting burnt by both her unusual powers and her pure heritage...that is probably why we cause so much trouble for her in her time; we must have been human," he replied.

Inuyasha shook his head, "No, I don't think so. Kagome might be a threat to her, since she's a miko, but if the rest of us are humans, we wouldn't stand a chance. There must be a way to fight her with our demon bodies." Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"You know," Sango said, thinking, "he may have a point there. As humans, we're not as equipped to fight, especially against magic as powerful as hers. There _must _be a way to inflict damage while in these forms.

Miroku patted Inuyasha on the back, "So, tell me Inuyasha, what stroke of inspiration put that wise thought into your otherwise empty head?" Inuyasha snarled at him, and Miroku backed away into Sango.

Inuyasha raised an annoyed eyebrow and looked back at the rest of the group. "She kept her distance from us the one time we met her in person, and she doesn't attack us often either. It's like she's biding her time, watching and waiting. I think she's trying to figure out if we know how to effectively inflict damage on her yet, and since she's only sent out one of her crystal minions, she doesn't have the information she needs," he tried. All seemed to think this logical, but Kachie interjected.

"Ariel uses up a lot of magic. The door to our time must have drained her, and then there's that constantly open door to this era. The crystal woman, the spell; it all must take monumental amounts of strength and magic. That could be why she's biding her time. Kotaro said that she was resting for an attack, and no doubt that attack will be based on magic."

Kagura nodded, "So, she's been building power all this time while steadily weakening you all with that spell of hers. Brilliant, diabolically evil, but brilliant."

"You don't know the half of it." Everyone spun around to see Kotaro standing in the doorway. His expression was grim, and his eyes looked clouded with thought.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you afraid that she'll find you out?" Kagome asked. Kotaro shook his head.

"I think it's too late for that; I'm almost certain that she suspects me of double crossing her. I came here to warn you of the latest development that I know of; Sesshoumaru, she plans to storm your palace."

Everyone grew quiet and looked to Sesshoumaru for his reaction. His lips were pulled in a straight line and his eyes had narrowed considerably. "Was this the attack you spoke to Kachie of yesterday?" he asked. Kotaro shook his head.

"No, this was something spur of the moment; I'm not sure what triggered it. The attack that I spoke to Kachie of is still a mystery to me; she's not divulged any information regarding it. That was my first hint that she was on to me," he replied. Once more, all became silent. Kachie took this opportunity to get a few questions the group had answered.

"Kotaro, what are we in the future, when we fight her? Human, or demon?" she questioned. Kotaro regarded her for a moment before answering.

"You reside permanently in your demonic bodies." This cause everyone's heads to shoot up.

"We stay in our demons forms? As in, we naturally exist like that?" Hekele asked. Kotaro nodded.

"Yes, in my time, demons and humans co-exist. There was a small war, and a great deal of opposition, but eventually the two creatures merged and reside together as though they were one. Hanyous are beginning to become common place even. It's quite an interesting time; it's like the Golden Age of Knowledge. Demon teachers teach students about how the past really occurred, the truth behind some of Japan's greatest tales, and so much more.

During the war, you took your family here to keep them safe, and two years later, when there was peace and understanding, you all came back. Kagome performed a very draining spell, one that put her in bed for almost a month after, and you all became demons permanently," he explained. The group was in a mild state of shock; that such a bright future existed seemed almost too good to be true to them.

"So, how do we fight her then? Ariel, I mean. If we are in our demonic forms, can't she harm us more easily?" Kachie asked next. Kotaro seemed to ponder this.

"I...do not know. I always assumed that you were special, or that you had a spell of sorts on you that allowed you to do so...do you mean to tell me that you know nothing of this?" he questioned, perplexed. Koga nodded.

"That's why she asked. We were hoping _you _could tell us. Next question: We have here a prophecy that was written by Ariel's daughter, telling of a way to destroy Ariel. It speaks of a creature of sorts that is the only way. What do you know about _that_?"

The look on Kotaro's face rewrote the definition of 'blank expression'. "Ariel has a daughter?"

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After explaining all that the group knew to Kotaro, and he shared what little insight he had, (that the creature was most likely to be something pure,) Kachie and Koga had decided to go back to the modern era; Kachie to inform the Higurashis of what was happening and to be around if her parents showed up, and Koga to keep an eye on Kachie in case her parents showed up.

Kotaro had been invited to stay with the group, as it was no longer safe for him to spy on Ariel for them. He accepted rather timidly, as it had been Sango who had issued the invitation, but was glad for the chance. Kachie herself was satisfied with all she had heard of and from Kotaro that he was truly on their side, and personally felt as though he deserved a chance to make right what he had done wrong.

It took a few hours of hard running, but it was worth it when the well came into view. The two jumped in simultaneously and landed with a graceful 'thud' on the other side. Koga hopped out of the well first and politely helped Kachie out next before leading the way to the house. When they opened the back door, a very frazzled Ms. Higurashi greeted them.

"Oh! Kachie dear! You couldn't have picked a better time to re-appear!" she said, taking hold of the girl and hugging her fiercely. Kachie was mildly squished.

"Uh, hi Mom...what's going on?" she asked, hugging the woman back gently.

Ms. Higurashi smiled at her a bit sadly, "Your parents just called to inform me that they were on their way over...and I didn't know what I'd do if they came and found that you weren't here..." Kachie gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll take a quickly shower and be downstairs waiting for them in a jiffy; we'll get through this..." she said confidently, filled with the feeling that all would go smoothly. There was no legal way for her parents to take her away at this point, not until the custody case went to trial at least, so Kachie felt no fear.

Ms. Higurashi smiled and nodded. "All right dear...oh, Koga, you had better get changed as well. If they come before you're out of the shower, Kachie, we'll say that you and Koga had a date and that you were running late. Will that work?" Kachie nodded at her, and then at Koga, before running up the stairs and swiftly picking out a rather nice looking outfit to complete the ruse.

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Twenty minutes later, Kachie exited the bathroom wearing a pair of black dress pants and a dark purple button blouse with a set of gold hoops in her ears and a gold chain around her neck. Her hair was in a messy bun at the back of her head, and she also wore some eye liner, mascara, and some light purple eye shadow to complete the look. Yep, she was ready for her 'date'.

Too bad she heard arguing at the bottom of the stairs, or else she might have been able to enjoy a rather shocked look on Koga's part, (after all, how often did Kachie ever _intentionally _dress nice?) She pretended to be surprised when she reached the bottom of the stairs and saw her parents standing in the livingroom, arguing with Ms. H.

"Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?" she asked. Her father instantly rounded on her and Kachie couldn't help but regret the sense of security that she had felt before her shower.

"Who do you think you are running away from us like that? And to put false accusations of abuse on us as well! What kind of ingrate whore does that to her family!" he yelled at her. Kachie's eyes widened more than a fraction when he advanced further, and suddenly Koga was standing between her and the brute she called father.

"Stay away from her. She's in the custody of Ms. Higurashi, and if you lay a hand on her it will only serve against your disposition in court," he ground out angrily, recalling quite clearly the bruises that had marred Kachie's face only a day before. Kachie's father recognized the boy and focused his anger on him instead.

"Get the fuck away from my daughter, _NOW_! She is coming home with us and _you_ are going to be eating through a tube if you don't get out of my way," he responded hostilely. Koga snarled at him and Ms. H. stepped in between the two.

"Mr. Runa, your daughter **is **in my custody for now. I must caution against you staying here any longer; if you prove to be a disturbance, I will call the police. I have the grounds to do it, as you shouldn't even be here," she said cautiously. Kachie's mother scoffed.

"And how would that make you look? Denying the girl the right to see her parents can't be all that glorious in court."

"Who said I was being denied anything? It cannot be denied if I never asked for it." Kachie's mother stared at her daughter for a moment before shrugging.

"Back to the delinquency I see. You were expelled once; who'd listen to a brat like you?" she retorted dryly. Kachie's eyes welled suddenly; she was angry with both of her parents, but her mother had been the gentler of the two through this whole ordeal. Seeing her so cruel hurt Kachie deeply.

"We aren't leaving without our daughter. Hand her over now or else we'll take her by force," her father said angrily, taking another step towards the group.

Koga stepped out in front of Ms. H., wanting to keep her safe as well. "You haven't got the authority to enforce that," he stated curtly, he then turned his head to regard the two behind him, "Call the police. Tell 'em what's up, and I'll try to keep these two busy in here..." Ms. H. nodded and quickly ushered Kachie out of the room and into the kitchen.

Kachie's parents made move to follow, but Koga blocked their path. _I'm glad the kid and the geezer aren't home...I don't have to worry about their safety too. _"I'm sorry, but you'd better be going now, unless you want more legal issues." Kachie's father walked closer and pulled out something that he'd been concealing, a six inch knife.

Koga growled. _Shit...**so **not what I was hoping to deal with..._

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Hekele looked up from the book she was reading suddenly, having felt something odd. She looked down at the orb that rested around her neck and found that it was glowing faintly. Perplexed, she raised it to eyes level, and the glowing promptly ceased. What was there, however, whilst hers and Sesshoumaru's auras continued to swirl on the interior, was a single word inscribed on the outside.

"Wisdom? I wonder what that could mean..." she wondered aloud. She stood quickly and went to find Kagome and Sango to see about their orbs. When she did find them, looking through books of their own for more information, they too had various words suddenly adorning their orbs.

"Love," said Kagome, showing off her own cautiously, lest something else strange occur. Sango held out hers as well.

"Mine says Courage. Do you have any idea what this is?" Hekele shook her head.

"Nope, but I think that we should go locate the boys...I think this is a tidbit more interesting than reorganizing the guards and calling troops to defend the palace..."

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Koga's fist collided with Mr. Runa's abdomen as the said man took a swing at him with the knife. Koga had dodged it awkwardly, but had managed a counter attack. Kachie's mother snuck around to Koga's side in an attempt to get past him but he looked at her pointedly.

"The last thing I wanna do is kick your ass lady; sit and stay put if you know what's good for you." The woman froze for a moment, but when Koga's attention became focused on her husband again, she bolted for the kitchen, completely unfazed by the fighting happening right next to her.

_This isn't working. I can handle this guy well enough, but if I can't kill him, I'll tire out in this body, and chances are, he won't because of the spell. That'll cause a big problem, but he's Kachie's dad...and under that spell. He isn't doing any of this on purpose...I can't just kill him. Maybe I'll be able to knock him out long enough for the police to get here..._ Koga thought as he dodged the swinging knife.

He was completely unaware that Mrs. Runa had left the room...

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Kachie sat at the counter with her head cradled in her arms, the tears flowing down her face hidden from view. Ms. H. stroked her hair soothingly as she dialed the police; she didn't need to see Kachie's tears to know that they were there.

Just as the operator picked up on the other line, Ms. H. found that the line had been disconnected. Looking up in alarm, she saw that Kachie's mother had entered the room, and had unplugged the phone cord. Kachie looked up as well, and her face turned pale. Ms. H. stood in front of her as though she were the girl's shield, her motherly instincts surfacing once more.

"You aren't wanted here, leave," she said coldly, surprising herself at her own tone of voice. Kachie's mother only stared at her.

"I may not be as prone to violence as my husband, but I _will_ get my daughter back, at any cost," she replied icily. Kachie stood up then and walked in front of Ms. H., not wanting her injured in any way.

"I don't want to go back! I want to stay here, where I'm loved and cared for! This is my family now, not you!" she cried, anger and pain laced in her words. Her mother only stared at her quietly for a moment before replying.

"You will come back to your real family whether you want to or not; whether in one piece or not..." Kachie looked on in horror as her mother pulled a small hand-gun from the inside of her jacket.

Her mother stared at her, "Don't make me use this my dear."

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"Damn...I sure screwed up..." Kotaro said to himself as he read Ariel's book; Kagome had given it to him so that he'd get a better sense of what the group had explained to him. Kagura, who was currently looking through a book of legendary creatures a few feet away from him, looked up and shrugged.

"It's no big deal. Trust me, this is a forgiving group," she said quietly, reflecting briefly on her own dark past. Kotaro looked at her for a moment, pondering what she had said.

"I don't know if what I did could ever be forgiven...nor do I think I want it to be. If what I did _could _be forgiven, then this group wouldn't be as strong as it is..." he said. Kagura seemed to think about this before nodding.

"That's true, I don't suppose they'd be as strong without their comradery, and their comradery wouldn't be as strong if the death of one of them were to be forgiven." She looked at Kotaro then, curious about the nature of her friends due to his speculation. "Accepting then; they are an accepting group. They can accept the darkness of one's past and accept their desire to start anew. They can't forgive the past, nor forget it, but they can work around it."

Kotaro nodded to himself, "I think you're right. But what darkness of yours, may I ask, have they decided to 'work around'?"

Kagura sighed, not really wanting to get into it all, but feeling as though answering his question was justified given her statement. "I take it that your knowledge of Naraku is limited...he...was Kanna's and my master...our creator. We did his bidding, including many horrible things to this very group. We hated him, but did his will because he held our hearts and Kanna's soul captive; he could kill us whenever he desired. We wanted to live though, so we did what we were told, although grudgingly."

Kotaro shook his head, "It sounds to me like the two of you didn't have a choice." Kagura shook her head.

"There's always a choice. Right or wrong; we chose 'wrong' to stay alive. During the last battle, however, Kanna and I tried to help them. Then Hekele gave her life for us when Naraku tried to kill us by squeezing our hearts. She gave our hearts, and Kanna's soul, back to us, and in his rage, Naraku killed her. We later died when Kagome purified Naraku, because we were created from his own flesh and so were tied to him. When Midoriko brought everyone back to life through Kagome's body, we returned to life again as well, completely free and apart from Naraku, no trace of his scent on us, which signified that we were no longer his creation.

The group didn't have to accept us, either of us, but they did, and what Hekele did for us in that battle still surprises me even now. She looked past what had been and instead looked at what was. I won't say that I have a stronger bond with her than anyone else, but that particular event showed me that these haphazardly mixed people are worth being friends with, and Kanna and I've hung around with them since." Kagura blinked and then gave a half-hearted laugh, "That's not what you wanted to hear though, was it? You wanted my darkness, not mine and Kanna's life stories. My darkness, _our _darkness, was our cowardice in doing Naraku's bidding, when we could have given ourselves for what was right in the beginning. And trust me, if these friends can accept that darkness, then they can accept yours as well."

Kotaro looked at her long and hard, processing the information for a moment before smiling, "Then, I suppose you and I are similar spirits. We could both have done what was right from the beginning, but didn't." Kagura smiled one of her rare, sincere smiles, and nodded. She raised her hand mockingly, as if signaling a toast.

"Here's to redemption and kindred spirits."

Kotaro grinned, mimicking her, "Cheers."

Just then, Hekele, Kagome, and Sango burst into the room. The two stared at them oddly for a moment as they caught their breath, wondering what had happened. Kagome was the first to speak.

"Where are the guys? Our orbs are acting weird. First they mysteriously sprouted words, and now they're glowing. We think something bad is happening to Kachie and Koga..." she said, holding up her orb for the two to see. Sango and Hekele did the same thing. All three orbs were glowing brightly, flashing the two colors that were in each back and forth. It did indeed seem as though it were in warning as well.

Kagura bit her lip uneasily, "I think they're in Sesshoumaru's study. That's where they were when I came back down here..." The girls nodded and took off in that direction hurriedly. Kotaro looked at Kagura.

"I have the feeling that your friends are in danger as well...The spell may have reached its potency by now...if we want to get there in time to help, I'll have to transport everyone to the well. I'll have to make a few trips, and it'll take a few minutes, but it's definitely the quickest way there..." he said as reached out his hand gentlemanly to help Kagura to her feet, not even aware of the gesture. Kagura accepted cautiously, not intimately familiar with chivalry, and took his hand. He helped her up and the two began running towards Sesshoumaru's study, all the while her heart beat with more intensity than usual.

_How odd..._ she wondered as the two rounded a corner and began ascending the main stairs._ Why's my heartbeat suddenly so strange?_

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Koga slugged Kachie's father hard in the face, sending him to the ground, and the knife a few feet away. He didn't get back up. Koga walked over to him cautiously, and found his breathing to be relatively even, signifying that he was, for the moment, unconscious. With this verified, Koga looked up to where he had left Kachie's mother, and notice that she was missing.

_Damn it..._ he thought to himself, making his way to the kitchen door. He opened it slowly and quietly, not wanting to be seen or heard. When he saw the gun pointed at Kachie and Ms. H., he carefully slid through the partially opened door and snuck up behind Kachie's mother, not making a sound. Kachie's face turned momentarily to one of relief, but she swiftly readjusted her expression as to not tip-off her mother about the boy standing directly behind her.

As if sensing that something wasn't right, Kachie's mother spun around and fired the gun, missing Koga by inches in her haste. Taking advantage of her surprise at having missed, Koga grabbed her wrists and wretched the gun from her hold, kicking it back towards the door. Kachie was at his side in an instant and helped force her struggling mother into a chair while Ms. H. ran to get something to tie her there with. As soon as she was gone, Kachie looked to Koga.

"Is he...?" Koga shook his head.

"No, he's knocked out though; are you all right?" he asked, giving her a quick lookover as he held her mother in place in the chair. Kachie nodded.

"I'm ok...are you?" she asked, noticing a few bleeding cuts on his arms. Koga grinned.

"I'm good; it takes-"

"You won't be!" Kachie's mother ground out, angered by her predicament.

Koga rolled his eyes, covering her mouth with his hand to avoid interruption, "Like I said, I'm good. It'll take more than a few cuts to bring me outta commission..." Kachie rolled her eyes but smiled, happy that he was all right.

Ms. H. returned then and handed Koga some clothesline that she had found in the closet. The two of them hunched over a protesting Mrs. Runa and began tying her in place, not wanting to do her any bodily harm unless they absolutely had to. Kachie stood up straight and wiped the remnants of her tears from her eyes. It was over; they'd find a way to get her parents back to normal soon enough, and everything would be ok. She was glad.

Deciding that the police should still be called, however, she grabbed the phone and turned it on, only to remember that it had been disconnected by her mother. She looked to the phone hook, as she was going to plug it back in, but saw instead her father standing, though with difficulty, in the doorway, holding her mother's gun. It was pointed at Koga.

"Koga!"

The said boy looked up in time to see the man and the gun. He quickly covered Ms. Higurashi and Kachie's mother, as they were so close, and heard the distinct bang of the gun. But he never felt anything...

He looked up to find Kachie standing in front of him, and his eyes widened in horror. He dashed to her side as she was stumbling backwards and managed to catch her before she fell. Her abdomen was bleeding profusely, and her eyes were quickly becoming clouded.

It was as if time had stopped. Ms. H. looked on in disbelief with grief-stricken eyes brimming with tears. Kachie's parents both were frozen in a sort of shock, almost as if they had come to their senses enough to know that something horrible had been done that neither of them had truly wanted. Kachie's father fell to his knees, not understanding quite where he was, why there was a gun in his hand, and why his daughter, (whom he hadn't seen in months,) lay bleeding to death in front of him. He looked up and saw his wife sitting in a chair, and when their eyes connected, he suddenly remembered.

He remembered feeling suddenly very angry, and wanting his daughter back. He remembered speaking to the woman she had been staying with on the phone, boarding a plane, and taking his daughter away against her deepest wishes. He remembered hurting her, slapping her, bruising her face, making her cry; his memory not allowing him to escape all those horrible things. Then he remembered her running away from him and her mother, he remembered the intense anger that he had felt, and then remembered coming to this very house and demanding her return. He remembered the fight he had with her boyfriend, remembered waking up with even more anger, walking silently into the room and picking up his wife's discarded gun. He recalled with a sickening feeling in his stomach as he fired the weapon...and hit his own daughter as she rushed to protect the ones he had thought to harm. And one look into his wife's eyes...and he knew that she remembered too.

Koga shook Kachie gently, panicking at all the blood she was losing, when her eyes opened again, if only slightly._ Please stay with me..._ he thought in vain, not knowing what to do. Ms. H. was at his side then, pressing a bunched up towel against Kachie's abdomen, causing the girl to wince in pain. She was beginning to pale...

Koga turned to the woman next to him, "I have to get her to the other side; if I do, she might still have a chance..." The woman nodded and helped him situate Kachie in his arms so as to cause as little addition harm as possible, and he stood up. She ran to the door and opened it for him, and Koga took off through it, with a his dying love in his arms, towards the well.

"Hold on Kachie...please hold on for me..." he pleaded as he looked at her paling face. She was beginning to get colder...

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Kaede looked up when she heard villagers outside her hut shouting. A feeling of dred settled in her stomach and she stood up to see what was wrong. Before she had managed to hobble over to her door, however, Koga had burst into her hut wildly, holding a bloody Kachie in his arms. His eyes only lighted slightly when he saw her.

"She's been hurt, bad. It happened on the other side of the well, when she was human," he said breathlessly. Kaede swiftly directed him to one of the mats on the floor and he placed Kachie there with the utmost caution and care, though that didn't stop Kachie from wincing in pain. Kaede quickly got to work examining the wound and attempting to quell the bleeding.

"Tell me what I am dealing with Koga...I've not seen an injury like this before," she said calmly. Koga bit his lip slightly, knowing that the old woman had no idea what a gun was, (the only reason he even knew was because he had seen them in movies on the other side of the well and had asked about them.)

"She was hit by something very small, shorter than an inch and only about as thick as one's finger. It was going at a speed faster than most demons could run when it hit her. All I know is that we need to get the object out of her..." he said, hoping she understood the explanation. The old woman did, for she immediately nodded and went to work carefully examining the wound and prying for the object. Kachie whimpered in pain and Koga's hand instantly found hers, hoping it'd help somehow.

Feeling something through the rag she was using that didn't belong, Kaede carefully slid it out of Kachie's abdomen, causing the girl to whimper once more, and held it up for Koga to see. It was the bullet.

"That's it! That's the object!" Koga said, hoping that it was good enough that the bullet was out of her and that Kachie could begin to heal on her own. Kaede shook her head though.

"This wound is horrid. It may even be strong enough to severely wound demons. Because she was injured and weakened as a human first, I do not know if she will begin to heal in time; I'll see what I can do to stop the bleeding, but at this point, even that may not be enough..." Koga could honestly feel his heart rip in two when she said this. His eyes lost what hope had resided in them as he looked back down at Kachie. She was deathly white, and her breathing was quite labored.

Kaede spoke once more, "Press this tightly against her wound; I need to get some herbs from the garden that may help. At the very least, they'll subdue the pain she's in..." Koga did as he was told and the old woman left the hut as quickly as she could to retrieve the herbs.

Koga pressed the cloth against her wound tightly and held it there, pain laced in his expression. "Kachie...you've gotta stay with me here...you can't die..." he said to her, hoping she'd hear him. She did.

Kachie opened her eyes a bit and forced a smile up in Koga's general direction. Darkness was shrouding her vision, and Kachie was aware of the severity of her wound. "Koga..." she said quietly, her voice not getting any louder. Koga heard her though, and looked down only to see her clouded eyes. An agony he had only felt once before swelled in his chest as he looked at her fading form.

"Kachie...why did you..."

"I...wanted to. You kept me safe...it was my turn..." she said softly, barely able to speak at all. Koga squeezed her hand in his while he put pressure on her wound with his other.

"You shouldn't have. My whole goal was to keep you safe...not this..." he said dejectedly. Kachie smiled again, and brought his hand to her lips so that she could kiss it.

"And mine...all along...was that none of my friends...got hurt because...because of me..." she said painfully. Koga looked down at her, his eyes beginning to well with tears. He could sense her body dying, and there was nothing that he could do. He couldn't bear to watch her die again, not after the pain it caused him in the fight against Naraku. She had given her life to protect Kagome...and now she had given it to save him as well...

"You stupid runt...if I'm gonna get hurt protecting you, or anyone else, it's because I want to. You don't get to go and hurt yourself for me when I'm trying to keep you in one piece..." he said, picking her up and cradling her against his chest lovingly. Kachie smiled and nuzzled him slightly, glad for the last bit of warmth she knew she'd ever feel.

"I love you Koga, and...I'm sorry..." she said quietly. Koga squeezed her tighter, knowing she was almost gone.

"There's nothing to be sorry for...and I love you too, Runt..." he replied, kissing the side of her forehead affectionately. He closed his eyes and held her tightly to his chest, not being able to watch her fade any longer.

There was a moment when he heard her breathing still, and his tears finally rolled from his eyes and fell to the nape of Kachie's neck. Koga squeezed her tighter still, in too much pain to let go. It was then that Kaede hobbled back into the hut, herbs in hand. She knew what had happened instantly, and her heart plummeted to a new low. Kachie had been as dear to her as everyone else, and the old woman felt much pain at her death.

She placed a hand on Koga's shoulder in comfort, and was about to speak, when a bright light emitted from both him and Kachie's body. The light was a mixture, and earthy green emitting from Koga, and a deep violet purple from Kachie.

Kaede had to take a step back as the lights' intensity increased, for fear of being blinded in the one good eye she had left. Koga, however, didn't move a muscle. He could feel pulsing, and part of him knew what was happening. The other part, however, could only continue to hold Kachie as the pulsing increased, and as the light brightened. He began to feel a slight breeze swirling around them, and in a moment, the light had dulled to the point where Koga could open his eyes.

Floating before him was an orb, with forest green and violet purple aura's swirling within it. He looked down at Kachie happily and expectantly, but found no change in her condition. His heart sank to the ground, confusion and pain flashing in his eyes. Why had she not been healed? Why was she still not breathing? A shocked tear ran down his face as he continued to look at her face, hoping to hear her heart begin to beat again, or to see her chest rise and fall with breath. But nothing happened. She was dead.

It was then that his friends entered the hut. They had smelled Kachie's blood from the well, where Kotaro had transported them, and had run towards the village. Kotaro, weakened from the extra use of his limited magic, had to stay behind, and Kagura stayed with him.

Kagome's eyes welled with tears instantly when she saw Kachie laying in Koga's arms, she couldn't hear her friend's heart beating, and knew she was gone. Sesshoumaru was holding Hekele tightly, as she had already been reduced to tears. His sword, the Tenseiga, wasn't reacting as it should have been, signifying that it would not bring the girl back to life. He murmured a quiet apology in her ear and stroked her back, watching in a silent sorrow of his own as his comrade finally laid Kachie back down on the mat. Koga still held her hand.

"Why...didn't she return to life when the orb formed?" Koga asked to no one in particular. It was then, to everyone's shock, that he showed him the green and purple orb that had formed between their auras. They had all assumed that the orb hadn't had a chance to form before she had died, but since it had, she should have been alive again...

Miroku and Sango looked at each other in confusion; Sango had been dead, but the formation of the orb had brought her back to life. Why hadn't Kachie's and Koga's orb done the same for Kachie?

It was then that the orb in Koga's hand began to glow again, and a kanji appeared on its surface: Friendship. Koga looked at it oddly, and then at his friends. The girl's held up their orbs somberly, to show that they all had writing on them. Miroku's eyes widened suddenly in realization, and he was about to speak when all four orbs began to glow brightly and pull away from those holding onto them. The lights emitted from the four floating orbs were all the colors in the orbs: yellow and light blue, silver and aquamarine, red and white, and finally, green and purple. Within seconds, the white light that was Kagome's aura consumed the others and all light was white. Pure. The whole hut was filled with the light, consumed by it to the point where no one could see anything and had to shut their eyes. Then, suddenly, there was an intense burst of power, and all returned to normal. Everyone cautiously opened their eyes, only to be met with the shocking sight of one orb floating in front of Kagome, waiting to be held and caressed by its protector once more. The Shikon no Tama had been reformed.

Koga felt stirring under his hand and looked down at Kachie. Her heart suddenly began to beat, and Koga witnessed with joy as her chest began to rise and fall as she took the first breaths of her new life. Her wound was completely gone, leaving not even a scar to show it had ever been there, and her face was no longer white. She opened her eyes then, and looked right up at him. She smiled slightly.

"What the hell am I still doing in this Kami forsaken place? I thought I was rid of you people..." she joked. Koga pulled her into his arms tightly and kissed her forehead, feeling nothing short of relief.

"If you _ever _do that to me again, I swear I'll make you more of a runt than you already are..." he threatened as he held her against his chest. Kachie smiled.

"Deal..." she replied. She then looked over at her friends, who were torn between staring at her in relief and staring at the Shikon no Tama, which now rested in Kagome's hands.

"Friendship, Courage, Wisdom, and Love are the four spirits that make up the Shikon no Tama...we each had half of a spirit inside of us, and when we won the favor of whatever spirit we were connected with by breaking the spell, it emerged from us to become whole...and when all four spirits became whole...the Shikon no Tama reformed..." Miroku explained in awe. Sango looked at him, about to say something, when her own eyes widened. She looked at her wrists and then at her friends in shock.

"Guys...we're human again." Everyone's eyes widened as hers had and looked about at one another, only now realizing what the return of the Shikon no Tama had done to them. They were reverted their former selves. The humans were human again, and the demons still demon.

Their wish to be together forever had been undone.

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Ariel watched the group through her magical pool with only hate and contempt. Once again, her spell had been broken, and an orb had formed. Kachie had died, had _been _dead, but when the Shikon no Tama had appeared, the burst of power had resurrected her. The power of her orb alone couldn't bring her back because she was so far gone, and so injured. Sango had been dead for only seconds, and had died by freezing. Kachie had died of a bullet wound and massive blood loss that was completely beyond her control, therefore making it impossible for the spirit in hers and Koga's orb alone to bring her back.

The important thing was, however, that she _was _alive again, thus creating anger in Ariel matched and surpassed only by the anger she felt towards Kotaro for having openly betrayed and abandoned her. She was angered by his new friendship towards the wind witch, Kagura, and her evident similar feelings for him as well. She was angered that she could so easily be replaced, and by what she considered to be a lesser being.

Ariel calmed herself, however, as she directed her attention to the mound of crystals that she had gathered before her. "Here this one's call dear children; come forth and listen to your mistress!" With that, a burst of power came forth from her hands and hit the mound of crystals. When Ariel stopped her power flow, the crystals began to glow and change in size immensely. It was high time her enemies came face-to-face with her crystal servants once more. And with Sesshoumaru's palace left completely defenseless for the time, with all the children left behind there, and half of the miserable group stuck in their human forms hours away, it was the perfect time to issue a full-scale frontal assault on the palace. She would burn it to the ground if she had to.

And she would leave no survivors.

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**Me-** Ok, since I'm going to be gone for two weeks on my trip, (far from **_any _**computer most likely,) AND since I took so damn long to update, I decided to make this chapter extra intense for you wonderful readers. Did you enjoy it? Please, seriously, I need to get some reviews on this one. I was going to save the whole Shikon no Tama thing until the next chapter, but you guys had to wait for me so long that I put it in here as an apology...is my apology accepted?

**Kachie-**You killed me! I was _dead_!

**Me-** Oh shut up, you're fine.

**Kachie-** YOU **_KILLED _**ME!

**Me-** (shrugs) You're alive now, and so on and so forth...don't worry...I wouldn't leave you dead...

**Kachie-** (narrows eyes) You were thinking about it...

**Me-** I think about a lot of things...

**Kachie-** I knew it! (chases Hekele around in circles while throwing daggers at her)

**Me-** Help! Review to keep me alive!


	19. War, Uncertainties, Price of Betrayal

**Loving Thru the Trials of Love**

Hiya! Ok, after two weeks in the most beautiful place in the world, (Alaska,) a weekend at a camp my church runs, and half a week at my grandfather's house riding mopeds, eating awesome food, downloading InuYasha episodes, and helping him out around the house, acting as a crew leader for my church's Vacation Bible School for another week, and babysitting for a weekend for my cousin's two toddlers, (sent especially from hell just for me,) I am officially ready to get back to this story!

Ok, this chapter took a bit out of me, mostly because I had nothing inspiring me at the time. Ok, not nothing, I have a song sung by Ken Narita, (Japanese voice actor of Sesshoumaru,) with the voice actors of Rin and Jaken singing in the background on repeat constantly. That was pretty inspiring, since they are singing about Sesshoumaru in the song, and it's got a pretty good beat to it...and quality singing of course... And I've got a recording of the song Rin sings in the series about Sesshoumaru...in Japanese...it's _soooo _cute...

Ok, so I _was _inspired...but just to write the Hekele/Sesshoumaru one-shot that one of my darling readers, asked for as a birthday present..._this _chapter was so friggin' hard to write that I actually had to make an outline for it. I, Hekele Adams, actually made up a general outline. The world has ended. Seriously. I hate making outlines...

I've got a new contest for you all! If you can guess which episode of InuYasha is my personal favorite, I'll write a one-shot song-fic for you with the couple of your choice!

Onto the disclaimer!

**Lawyers-** (yawn) Wow...it's been a while since we bothered this authoress...let's see what we can piss her off about now...OMIGOD YOU KILLED OFF ALL THE CHARACTERS, BROUGHT THEM BACK TO LIFE, AND THEN TRIED TO KILL THEM AGAIN IN THIS STORY! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!

**Me-** (cough, cough) Eeewwwwy, you've got stinky breath...when was the last time you morons brushed your teeth? I swear, you'd think that if I froze you in time for the past two years, that you'd have had better breath...

**Lawyers-** (gaping expressions) YOU FROZE US IN TIME? WHAT ABOUT OUR FAMILIES? OUR LIVES?

**Me-** Oh...you guys have families? I'm sorry...I didn't know. The thank-you cards I kept receiving for getting rid of you by the said family members didn't give it away...much...

**Lawyers-** (blank faces) ...We're gonna go cry now...leave us alone you horrible person...

**Me-** (waves good-bye) Oh, and I don't own anything...including any songs I may or may not use...

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**War, Uncertainties, and the Price of Betrayal**

Ariel's army of crystal warriors marched towards the Western Palace as silently and gracefully as a soft breeze in the wind. Ariel herself led the ranks, a look of determination plastered on her face as her long obsidian locks swayed with her every ethereal movement. Her pale face showed no trace of the many emotions and thoughts running through her mind. She had been betrayed by the man acting as her catalyst, and she had been out-witted by all of her enemies. Her level of annoyance had risen to a whole new height, and she decided that it was high time something went her way.

The Western Palace came into view far in the distance, and Ariel stopped walking. She growled to herself lightly before turning her head roughly to face her entourage. "We will prepare for battle here; be ready to strike the enemy in one hour!" She turned to face them entirely, the power flowing through her veins quivering in thrill and anticipation. Her hair billowed majestically around her as the wind picked up its speed, almost as if sensing the impending battle. The fallen's eyes flared as she spoke, "We will _destroy _them! Leave none breathing!"

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**A few hours before:**

Kagome ran her fingers through her hair in a panicked manner. "No...no, no, no...this cannot be happening..." Inuyasha put a shocked arm around the miko and pulled her tightly to him in confusion and comfort.

"Why...did the Shikon reform? It should have been impossible..." Miroku said, bewildered. He was still trying to get accustomed to the fact that he was human, even though he had been for an hour already. Sango placed her head on his shoulder, and his hand grasped hers firmly.

Sesshoumaru, who had been pacing the hut in thought, stopped short, "It only makes sense that the wish be undone when the Shikon revives itself. Obviously, its higher power within us felt we needed it to fight this evil, and so sought to reform. Ariel's spell merely provided the best opportunity for it to do so, as there was magic in the air about us in large quantities for long periods of time."

Kotaro, who had joined them in Kaede's hut after a long exhausting walk with Kagura from the well, (as he was still a bit drained from transporting the group,) sighed, "I hate to say it, but I think he's right. However, Sesshoumaru, this should be the least of your concerns as of now." Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly to regard the worn out human.

"And what _is_ what this Sesshoumaru should worry about?" he asked testily. Kotaro put his head in his hands and shook it absently.

"That bitch...Ariel will have seen what occurred here with the orbs, and will know of your current hindrances. This is the time she'll organize her army of crystal people to strike at your palace. She _would_ wait until now...when we're here, me too drained to transport you back in time..." he lifted his head slightly, true remorse and complete regret swimming in eyes, "...and when the children are there, alone and quite defenseless..."

Kagome's eyes widened considerably in horror, "Oh dear God no..." Hekele, who was sitting near her, visibly shook at the thought of what may happen to her little Rin and the others.

"We have to get back there, now," she said, choking down her fearful tears. Sesshoumaru strode over to her purposefully, his blank expression barely giving away the deep concern lacing his very soul.

"And so we shall, and we shall stay as close together as possible. You will accompany me on my cloud, Kagura will take Kotaro on her feather, and Kirara can carry Sango and Miroku." He looked at Koga and Kachie for a moment hesitantly, "Are you capable of travel Koga?" After an affirmative nod from the wolf prince, he continued, "Would you be willing to lend your pack to this fight?"

Koga nodded once more, "I had already planned on it; I'll take Kachie with me and we'll round them up. It may take a day or so though, unfortunately..." Sesshoumaru grimaced.

"It will have to do," he then turned to Inuyasha and Kagome, only to find Kagome already seated on her old place upon Inuyasha's back.

Inuyasha grinned a bit, "You pompous bastard; think we can't figure this out on our own? We traveled like this for over two years, y'know."

Sesshoumaru only offered his younger half-brother a glare before gently taking Hekele's hand and pulling her outside. The group followed swiftly, their bodies on automatic. Koga took off with Kachie instantly, followed closely by Inuyasha and Kagome. After a few seconds, Kirara, Sango, and Miroku were in the air, with Kagura and Kotaro not far behind.

Sesshoumaru turned to Hekele, and as he wrapped one arm securely around her for support, he gently wiped away the few worried tears that had rolled down her cheeks. "We shall make it in time; do not fret."

When Hekele felt them leave the ground, she wrapped her arms tightly around Sesshoumaru's middle, never having been too fond of heights to begin with. As if realizing this, Sesshoumaru lightly tightened his hold on her and gently pecked her forehead before abruptly taking off in a large burst of speed in the direction that everyone else had gone.

Hekele looked up at his face, which was as expressionless as the day she had met him. Hekele knew him well enough to know this was his 'troubled' look, and that meant that he was as concerned as she. _Kids...hold on...we're coming for you...just stay safe until we arrive..._

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"Assemble the front guard! The enemy approaches!" cried a soldier from his post along the palace gates. The army of crystal had just marched into view, and the soldiers protecting the palace became alert instantly.

They had been informed by their lord and his half-brother that the crystal warriors they were likely to face held powers of purification, and this fact did not sit well with the demons on guard. It worried them deeply, in fact.

"Prepare for battle!"

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Two sets of rapid footsteps echoed through the halls of the beautiful, yet bustling, palace. Kohaku pulled Kanna roughly through the halls as the two searched for Rin and Shippo, who hadn't been in Rin's chambers where they had left them.

The young demonslayer had heard the shouts of the soldiers protecting the palace and had rushed to the nearest window to see the enemy for himself. The army of crystal warriors was immense, and Kohaku had then run to retrieve Kanna and the other two younger children. They didn't know how, but soon after Rin and Kohaku had mysteriously turned into humans, the crystal army had been sighted far into the distance. Now, however, they were beginning to bear down on the palace, and Kohaku was determined to keep everyone together. If he could manage it, he'd also keep them safe; his sudden lack of demonic powers worried him greatly though.

"Kohaku-kun? Where could they be? They aren't in Shippo's room either!" Kanna said dejectedly as they opened Shippo's door. Kohaku tightened his hold on her hand and continued to all but drag Kanna to and down the main stairwell.

"They might be in the library; they might be looking for more information..." he replied. Kanna looked at him oddly as they rounded a corner.

"But, I thought we found all there was to find...I doubt they'd be able to find out the creature...there are no clues other than that there is only one of them..." she stated. Kohaku shrugged as they came to the door they were heading for.

"Trying is better than doing nothing..." he said, pushing the door open with more effort than he cared to use. Not having the demonic strength he was now accustomed to was rather bothersome...especially at a time like this.

When the two entered the vast main room of the library, they immediately found Rin and Shippo pouring over a small stack of books, much to their relief. Rin and Shippo looked up when they heard the two older kids approach, and upon realizing whom had caused the sounds returned to their respective books. Kanna swept Rin into a huge hug.

"Don't worry us like that you two! Ariel's crystal army is practically at the gates and we couldn't find you anywhere!" she said, releasing Rin in favor of crushing Shippo in her embrace instead. Kohaku smiled a stressed smile, a bit calmer knowing that the two were safe.

"Find anything?" he asked hopefully. Shippo shook his head.

"No...nothing..." he replied sadly. Kohaku ruffled his hair.

"Ok...grab the book from Kagome's era and come with us...we're going to try to find somewhere safe to stay..."

Kanna looked at Kohaku incredulously, "We're not going to fight?" Shippo looked equally disappointed, but Kohaku still shook his head.

"No, in case you hadn't noticed, two of us are human again. I'm still having trouble adjusting to the sudden change...it's different from when we go through the well...Instead of being hidden and suppressed, it feels like the strength was ripped right out of me...I won't be of much use, you still haven't discovered what powers you possess besides using your mirror, and Rin is probably as weak as I am..." Kohaku looked down at Shippo and grinned tiredly, "Just because _you _can still be of use doesn't mean that you can take them all yourself...it's better we stick together, and somewhere as far _away_ from battle as possible..."

No one disputed his answer, and as soon as Shippo had grabbed Kagome's book the four were off. Shippo was on Kohaku's shoulder while the young slayer once again began to drag Kanna by the hand towards another hall; Rin in turn was clutching Kanna's hand and moving her legs as swiftly as physically possible to keep up. Like Kohaku, she was severely drained from the sudden transformation, and was finding it difficult to move at all...

"Kohaku-kun...where are we going?" Kanna asked, aware of Rin's fatigue. She could also feel Kohaku's, and it was beginning to worry her.

Kohaku grimaced, "...To the dungeons...they won't look for us there...and if we're lucky, they won't be able to sniff us out either...we'll still have to hide ourselves though..." He trailed off, not wanting to say what he knew to be true.

_They're attacking the palace now...they know we're here alone...and I know they're here for us...I've gotta keep these three safe..._

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Koga looked up at Kachie uncertainly; he could tell by her scent that she was tired...and weak. He carefully adjusted her on his back as he ran towards his den, and grimaced at how she seemed to have paled slightly.

"Kachie-chan...are you all right?" he asked worriedly. Kachie smiled at him a bit, but shook her head.

"I...think the sudden loss of strength took more out of me than I thought it did...I feel really drowsy..." she admitted, laying her head on Koga's. Concerned even more, Koga quickened his pace, wanting to get her to the den as soon as possible so that she may rest a while.

"What does it feel like? Describe it to me..." he asked, wanting to keep Kachie awake. The girl complied.

"Like the power was stolen from my body...ripped away...when we usually turn human...it just feels suppressed...but now...it's completely gone...and my body has yet to adjust to the feeling..." she explained. Koga nodded; a good rest would certainly help. He would situate her first, and then begin talks with his pack after. Time may be of the essence, but it would take at least a day to convince his pack to join the battle. After all, there were no formal alliances made with the western lands as of yet, (though there _would _be in the future,) and the pack had no real reason to go...and Koga couldn't dispute that.

Feeling Kachie's hold on him slacken a bit, Koga noticed that she had fallen asleep and tightened his grip on her even more. He sniffed out the air and continued on his way, hoping he would make it back to the western palace without too much delay. He also hoped that his pack would be easy to convince...

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Like Koga had noticed a change in Kachie, Sesshoumaru too noted one in Hekele. She was slumped against him, and it looked as though it took all the energy she had to simply remain standing. Forcing his face not to betray his worry, he scooped her up into his arms and forced his cloud closer to the ground, where Kirara was flying.

Hekele looked up tiredly at Sesshoumaru, not knowing what else to do. She could barely move, and had felt as though a huge weight was lifted from her when he had begun carrying her. She relayed her gratitude through a slight nuzzle to his shoulder and closed her eyes. It had to be because of that damn jewel reforming...

Sesshoumaru looked down at Hekele, only to find her eyes closed and her head rested against his chest. He grimaced slightly and looked to Sango and Miroku, who appeared just as weak as she did. "Are you both all right?" he called to them. Miroku shook his head a bit.

"I suppose the sudden loss of strength has taken a toll on our physical bodies. We are no longer accustomed to not having power flowing beneath the surface. Even in our human forms in the other era, it was simply suppressed, as I'm sure you realized..." he said tiredly. Sango only nodded to agree with him, not wanting to break the concentration required to stay atop Kirara.

Sesshoumaru nodded to himself as his palace finally came into view on the horizon. _It was why I saw red...that day her father appeared...in my anger, my demonic power showed through briefly. It was always there, but now it's apparently been completely stolen from them._ It was then that the massive army that Ariel had created became visible, attacking the palace. He growled in silent realization; if Hekele, Sango, and Miroku were weakened, then it stood to reason that everyone else that had originally been human was as well. He thought of Rin and Kohaku briefly, and cursed their luck. Hopefully the children had time enough to hide themselves before the castle had come under siege...

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Kanna stroked Rin's hair as the girl slept fitfully with her head in Kanna's lap. As soon as the four had made it to the dungeons, she had all but collapsed, and Kanna was worried about her. Kohaku sat next to her quietly, trying desperately not to succumb to sleep himself. Shippo was still perched on Kohaku's shoulder, watching the boy warily.

"Kohaku, maybe you should rest some..." he suggested, though he did so a bit timidly. Kohaku shook his head.

"I need to stay awake in case I need to help you guys; I'm the oldest and it's my job to protect you as best I can," he said, his voice full of conviction. Kanna shook her head.

"That doesn't matter, Kohaku-kun; I can always use my mirror. You should get some rest..." she said in an almost motherly tone. Kohaku declined his head.

"Kanna...have you used your mirror since you got your soul back?" he asked. Kanna narrowed her eyes in a quizzical manner.

"No...I haven't...why?" she asked, curious.

Kohaku sighed softly, more to himself than anyone else. "...What if, when you use it, _your _soul gets sucked inside? It could...and how would we get it safely out?" he asked. Kanna's lips parted slightly in surprise; she had never thought of that...

"Well...you could break the mirror...and I suppose it would come back out...but...I'm not certain. Whenever the mirror got to close to bursting, I would always release the souls myself..." she thought aloud. Kohaku shook his head.

"And what if it didn't work? Without Naraku's magic, you'd die without your soul...It's not worth the risk; I'll stay awake and on guard, " he stated in a final tone. Kanna bit the inside of her lip uncertainly, not knowing what to say or do now.

_Kohaku-kun...thank you for watching out for me..._ she thought, leaning on him slightly to show her gratitude. Blushing deeply at her gesture, Kohaku put an arm around her and gave her a supportive hug.

"We'll be ok...ne? Sango and the others will get here in time to save us...no worries..." he said calmly. Kanna only nodded as she continued to stroke Rin's hair; the younger girl sleeping in her lap still. Shippo only looked at Kohaku and Kanna with raised eyebrows.

_Not to take away from the seriousness or desperation of our situation...but I think these two like each other..._

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It took Kachie a good five minutes from when her brain woke up to when she was able to sit up and survey her surroundings. She was in a cave...it appeared...and wrapped up in furs...why? The last thing she remembered was riding on Koga's back to rally his pack and...

_Dear God...I fell asleep...I'm probably in his den..._ she thought to herself, standing up slowly. She turned to look around once more when she heard a voice behind her.

"You ok, Runt?" Kachie jumped, startled, and turned around to face Koga with a slight smile.

"Yeah...I'm doing a little better...well enough to move and stay awake anyway...are we at your den?" she asked. Koga nodded as he walked up to her and felt her head.

"Not warm...I guess it really must have been the jewel's fault...you had me worried there...and still do...you didn't yell at me for calling you Runt..." he joked lightly. Kachie growled.

"It didn't register...don't call me that! It's degrading!" she exclaimed. Koga grinned a bit and pecked her forehead.

"There's the Kachie I love...snippy as ever, and just as slow too..." he replied. Kachie only glared at him in response until Koga decided to resume speaking.

"Well, so far, everything is as well as we could have hoped; most of the pack jumped right on board, but there are some that want nothing to do with the battle." Kachie sighed at this.

"Of course...nothing is as easy as it could be, is it? So what are we going to do?" she asked. Koga shook his head.

"I'll take one more hour to try to change their minds; if they won't budge then we'll have to leave them. I'm not sure we even have that hour to spare though..." he said dejectedly. Kachie nodded.

"Let's hope they can hold down the fort until we can get there..."

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Inuyasha snarled as he slashed through one of the crystal soldiers and leapt towards another. He was trying to break a path to Ariel and face her head on, but the waves of war were not on his side. With every enemy he struck down two charged forth to replace their fallen comrade, and Ariel made certain to stay away from the more fierce fighters. She still had no way of knowing that they had yet to discover how to harm her, and she didn't want to risk finding out.

Hiraikotsu flew through the air as a tired Sango tried to clear a path to the palace; her brother and the other children were in there, and Sango wanted to find them and know that they were still safe. An enemy slashed at her side, but a purification arrow disintegrated it before the blade made contact. Sango caught her boomerang and looked briefly towards Kagome, who nodded at her. She then saw Kotaro, Kagura, and Hekele make their way through the palace doors stealthily and grinned to herself, despite her fatigue. Now she could concentrate more on the battle...

Miroku appeared at her back a second later just as Sesshoumaru transformed into his giant dog form. The crystal creatures seemed frightened at first, but then began their onslaught anew. Miroku grimaced when they attempted to purify the demon lord, and nearly succeeded.

"We are getting nowhere with this...there has to be something else that can be done!" he yelled as he sliced the head off of a soldier with the monk's spade that Sango had given him; the weapon was heavier than he would have liked, however, since he was no longer a demon. He would have liked to test out its abilities using his lightning powers, but that would have to wait until a different time.

Sango nodded, unleashing one of her hidden knives and stabbing a soldier where his heart should reside. "Don't you die Miroku...you still have to marry me you know!" The monk allowed himself a chuckle at her comment before replying.

"I wouldn't dream of it my dear..."

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Kagura sniffed the air lightly and took off down a hallway, Hekele and Kotaro close in tow. She heard a slashing noise behind her and turned in time to see Hekele take out a crystal creature with her sais. The girl slouched from the expended effort, still not fully recovered from being drained, but kept moving towards her friend.

"Where do you think they went Kagura?" she asked, breathing deeply. Kagura bit her lip.

"I think they're down in the dungeons...but I can't be certain...something's making my nose fuzzy..." she replied. Kotaro grimaced.

"Ariel must be using magic to dull your senses...she wants the children to be killed before we can find them..." he stated reproachfully. Kagura looked him over critically.

"She would...wouldn't she?" she asked tentatively as she began to resume her search, now heading for the dungeons. Kotaro sighed, glancing back briefly to make sure that Hekele was still following them.

"Yes, she would I'm afraid," he responded, noting the other girl's fatigue, "Are you ok back there?" Hekele only nodded at him and straightened her back a bit, not wishing to show any more weakness than she already had. She wanted desperately to find the children, and worrying others would only slow down the process.

_Rin...please be safe..._

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Kanna smiled softly as Rin opened her eyes and began to look around at her surroundings. Apparently, she had been so tired earlier that she wasn't fully aware of where she was now that she was awake; the clueless expression worn on her face somehow comforted Kanna.

"Rin...are you feeling better?" she asked quietly, barely above a whisper. Rin nodded, her mind catching up to her.

"Yes...Rin is doing better...how are you doing Kanna-chan?" she returned, just as silently. Kanna only smiled and winked in reply, trying to cheer the younger girl.

The former demon of the void then looked over at where Kohaku was seated against a wall. His eyes were barely open, and he appeared to be struggling to remain awake. Unlike Rin, he hadn't gotten a wink of rest, and so was still severely weakened. Kanna bit her lip uncertainly.

"Kohaku-kun...you need some rest. I don't care what you say about needing to protect us; you still need to look after yourself as well. I'll stay awake and watch over everyone..." she tried, worrying deeply for him. Kohaku shook his head firmly.

"No, I've been awake for the past few hours, so I can handle a little while longer..." he replied shortly. Kanna only shook her head and scooted over to her friend.

"Kohaku-kun...please rest...even if you're only resting your eyes...it'd make me feel better..." she said honestly. After giving their surroundings a quick once over to satisfy himself, Kohaku gave Kanna a slight nod.

"I'm only going to rest my eyes though...if I fall asleep, wake me up Kanna..." he requested. Kanna crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping he _would_ in fact fall asleep, and nodded her consent. Kohaku gave her a sharp look and closed his eyes. Luckily for Kanna, his fatigue was worse than Kohaku had anticipated, and he had fallen asleep almost instantaneously.

Rin observed the exchange with curiosity, and smiled to herself a secretive smile. She could see the feelings that the two had for one another, and it made her happy to see it as well. Kanna and Kohaku, in her opinion, would be perfect for one another when they got older.

Rin turned her head when she heard pages turning, and found herself staring at Shippo, who was flipping through the book Kagome had brought from her time. She crept closer to her friend and looked at the book over his shoulder. This went on for a few minutes before she spoke in hushed tones.

"Shippo, what are you looking for? This is Ariel's story...right?" she asked, examining the text. Shippo nodded.

"I don't know...I'm just waiting for something to jump out at me...some sort of clue that maybe we didn't think about before..." he admitted. Rin nodded solemnly, glancing at the story sadly. Ariel had lived a hard existence, and it wasn't fair. There was nothing wrong with falling in love with someone, no matter who they were, and yet Ariel had been taken away from everything she had cared for as part of her punishment. Her love...her child...and because of it she had turned bitter, and eventually evil as well. Rin idly wondered if maybe it was acceptable now, or if maybe it was in the future, to fall in love with someone that wasn't exactly like you? She couldn't see it not being so...it wouldn't be right...

What happened next was rather strange. The book in Shippo's tiny hands suddenly began to glow. It was much like, in fact, the glow that the Shikon no Tama had admitted as it reformed, (though the children still had no knowledge of this fact,) only smaller. Rin quickly flipped the pages of the book resting in Shippo's hands until she came to a blank one which had not been there before. After a few seconds, writing began to appear, flowing across the page first in glowing golden light and then settling into black ink. Rin and Shippo were amazed, and a concerned Kanna had crept closer to them to see what was happening. When the words were finished writing themselves, the three children stared at the page with expressions ranging from shock to glee.

"_When the world stops turning, it will be time for my second to fulfill her destiny and discover her truth. Truth will become power and power will once more set the world in motion; if my second is strong..._" Kanna read carefully. Rin in Shippo grinned to themselves.

"A clue! The book gave us a clue! Now we just have to figure out what it means..." Shippo exclaimed happily. Rin was about to say something when Kanna swiftly covered the girl's mouth with her hand, giving her a warning look.

Footsteps were then heard coming towards the room. Shippo gave the girls apologetic looks as Kanna released Rin and silently made her way over to where Kohaku had fallen asleep. She shook him cautiously and the boy, despite his fatigue, woke almost instantly. Upon seeing Kanna, he opened his mouth to scold her for allowing him to fall asleep, when her hand flew over his lips to quiet him. He gave her a questioning look and she nodded to the door, removing her hand as she did so. It was then that Kohaku heard the footsteps and nodded silently to her. He stood up and glanced around the room for somewhere to hide. There was a small cabinet in the room, and Rin and Shippo had already squeezed inside to conceal themselves. There was also a larger cabinet where weapons were normally kept; Kohaku opened it and found that it had been emptied for the battle, and was just large enough to hide Kanna and himself. He lightly pushed Kanna off into one side and climbed inside himself, closing the door behind him.

They waited no more than a few scant seconds before they heard the door into the room open abruptly, and Kohaku silently readied his scythe. He could just barely see out of a crack in the door, and he focused on where Rin and Shippo were hiding, just in case he needed to intervene. He listened carefully, at first not hearing anything. Voices soon flooded his ears and he grimaced as he noted that they were approaching Kanna and himself.

The cabinet door swung open abruptly and Kohaku plunged his scythe into the creature standing in front of him. It fell to the ground with an undignified cry and another came in its place, brandishing a crystal sword. Kohaku grabbed Kanna and ducked under as the crystal soldier swiped the sword into the cabinet. Kohaku jumped and slammed the soldier in the gut, buying himself the time required to dislodge his weapon and cut down his enemy. The soldier glared at Kohaku a final time as he fell and Kohaku ripped his scythe out of its corpse. Rapid footsteps could be heard approaching the room and Kohaku readied himself to attack. Fortune was on the children's side, however, for the people who emerged hurriedly into the room were none other than Hekele, Kagura, and Kotaro.

"Kohaku! Are you all right? Where're the others?" Hekele asked, exasperated. She wrapped Kohaku in a small hug as Kanna, Rin, and Shippo emerged from their hiding places. As soon as she saw Rin, Hekele let Kohaku go and held the young girl protectively. After a moment, she yanked Shippo into her embrace as well.

Kagura belayed her worry for her sister in a more refined way by simply ruffling her hair. "You four had us worried...is everyone in one piece?" she asked. Kanna nodded to her and gave the older looking girl a hug around the waist, surprising her.

Kohaku and Kotaro stared at one another for a moment, neither knowing what to say or do. Kotaro finally looked away and proceeded towards the door. He was glad that the young slayer was safe, but felt as though he shouldn't say anything. He had done the boy a terrible wrong by killing his sister in the future, and would never do such an evil again, but still he felt the guilt. He knew that Kohaku wouldn't want to hear his words of concern anyway.

"Hey..." Kotaro, surprised, turned back and looked at Kohaku, who was staring at him rather intently.

"...Thanks, for coming to find us...despite what you did in your time...you're not so bad after all," he admitted, offering the stunned man a sliver of a grin. Kotaro returned the gesture.

"Thanks."

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**_I've dreamed about this,  
Sixteen days away  
Now you're here,_**

Ariel snarled to herself when Inuyasha got too close to her for comfort and unleashed a small wave of pure energy at him. He flew back a few feet, only to have Sesshoumaru take his place on the offensive. Ariel jumped back to avoid confrontation and slashed at another of the demon lord's soldiers. _Just a few more..._ she thought to herself as her face contorted into a sadistic grin. It was almost time to unleash her greatest weapon.

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_**And my head lays beside your body,  
Pillowed under mine  
You were poison,  
Spinning round my mind**_

"You mean to say that the book gave another clue! It did something? Well, what!" Kagura exclaimed, the urgency of the situation belayed in her tone. Kotaro walked up behind her and looked at Rin and Shippo over her shoulder.

"What does it say now?" he asked, only slightly calmer. Hekele let go of the two children long enough for Shippo to open the book and turn to the new page. Kotaro, Hekele, and Kagura huddled around the book to read the print, and all was silent as they mulled over its meaning.

"My...second...I don't think this 'creature' is a creature at all...I think it's a descendent of Midoriko...a woman..." Kagura thought aloud. Kotaro nodded a bit, deep in thought himself.

"But where would we begin looking to find her? And we need her here, now...there's no time..." he said quietly. Hekele wrapped Rin back up in a hug and sighed.

"We need to find the kids somewhere better to hide, so that we can go and help out there..." she said, standing up tiredly. Kagura nodded.

"Are you capable of fighting Hekele? You're still pretty weak," she commented in a concerned voice. Hekele waved her off as she picked up Rin and began heading for the door.

_**Welcome to my world  
She said, do you feel  
Alive she said**_

"Right now, it doesn't matter how tired any of us are...we need to fight and win this battle...there's no room for rest...besides, I've got a gut feeling that the answer to this stupid riddle is right in front of us...like it should be obvious..." Kotaro raised an eyebrow.

"And you think that fighting will bring the answers to you?" he asked. Hekele shook her head.

"I just feel like we all need to be there when whatever is going to happen actually happens...whether the answer slaps us in face in the nick of time, or not."

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**_It's all a bad dream,  
Spinning in your lonely head,_**

Koga had Kachie securely on his back as he sped ahead of his pack; time was of the essence, and that time was quickly slipping away. They had dallied too long trying to convince the remaining uncertain members of Koga's pack, and it had been nearly fruitless as well. Only a few of the cautious wolves had dared to change their minds, and Koga was beyond grateful that they had.

"We'll be there soon Kachie; just a little further...how're you holding up?" he asked. Kachie gave him a small squeeze around the shoulders.

"I'm doing all right; I'll be able to hold my own against the bad guys at least..." she replied. Koga sighed.

"You promise me you're not lying?" he asked seriously, not wanting her to do battle unless she was capable of surviving it. Kachie nodded against him, glancing at the battle axe that was strapped to her back.

"I promise; I'll be all right..." she said sincerely. Koga gave her leg an affectionate squeeze as the battle field came into view. The crystal army was vast, and it surrounded the palace. Kachie prayed that all her friends were still all right.

Koga prayed that they still had a chance...

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_**Welcome to my world,  
She said, separated world,  
She said, separated,**_

Kagome let a miko's arrow fly at Ariel, who dodged it and hissed at the girl in return before firing a blast of energy at her. She, in turn, dodged the attack as well, and it hit a crystal warrior that had snuck up behind her. Ariel snarled at the girl's luck and formed a barrier around herself, one she knew was too powerful for Inuyasha's Backlash Wave to penetrate, and began scanning the area for her pawn.

Kotaro was fighting alongside Kagura near the palace doors, trying to keep as many soldiers outside as possible. Both had been fighting for a few hours now, and both were getting tired. Kotaro had done a good job keeping up with Kagura's body count, and the wind witch had noticed.

_**Down poison,  
Down poison**_

"You do this often magic boy?" she asked, breathing heavily as she slugged a soldier that had gotten too close to safely use her fan on. Kotaro grinned a bit, despite himself.

"You could say that; I've had to train to keep up with you all you know..." he admitted. Kagura chuckled as she used her Dance of the Dragon and blew away a chunk of enemies.

"Have _we _ever fought?" she questioned curiously. Kotaro shrugged.

"More or less; you and I tend to insult one another back and forth more than actually damage each other. Between my magic and your fan, we're pretty much evenly matched..." he replied.

Kagura grinned, "Then, when this is all over, you and I are going to have to have a sparring match to determine who's better." Kotaro smiled as he let out a small blast of energy at a soldier, sending it flying into Kagura's path as she unleashed her attack once more.

_**Body withered,  
Body died,  
Time to take away this life**_

"And after that...we'll go out to a good sushi bar...my treat..." he said. Kagura gave him a slightly confused look, but instead smirked to herself as she readied herself for another attack.

"Sounds good, so long as I get to wear a nice dress and tease the other girls about going on an actual date..." she joked. Kotaro merely shrugged once more, his smile turning into a grin. His reply was as serious as the desperate situation they were fighting in.

"It's a date then; don't you forget it, Kagura."

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_**Bad enough to die from one,  
Not to mention  
Four or five**_

Ariel mentally began the required chant to access the power sealed in Kotaro's body. It would take a little time, but her barrier would hold. She could feel Inuyasha hammering at her barrier, as well as a few others, but with her eyes closed, she wasn't certain who. It didn't matter.

She felt no guilt for what she was about to do; even if Kotaro were to die, she couldn't care any less. He had been there when she had needed him, he had loved her when she needed to feel loved, he had provided for her whatever she had desired, but then he had betrayed her. She would have shared her throne with him had he remained loyal, even if she would never love him. Ariel knew she could never love him, for Ariel knew that she could no longer love anything. Despite this, betrayal still stung.

Never mind that she had been lying to and planning to betray him since the beginning...

_**Welcome to my world**_

_**She said, do you feel**_

_**Alive, she said**_

Any demon foolish enough to actually touch Ariel's barrier was instantly purified. Inuyasha's Backlash Wave was continuously repelled, Kagome's arrows were dissolved, and even Sesshoumaru's Dragon Strike was deflected. Nothing was working, and that could only spell disaster. Kotaro knew that Ariel was about to unleash a spell capable of great destruction simply based upon the look of intense concentration upon her face, but where was she going to get the power? He knew that Ariel didn't have the immediate power to stop time, knew that the power required was so vast that no one being could be born with it, _and _Kotaro knew that Ariel hadn't the time to acquire such power since he turned sides...so, where would she take the power from? Where would she steal it?

**_It's all a bad dream,  
Spinning in your lonely head_**

Hekele thrust her sais into a crystal soldier and ripped them out swiftly as she moved to block another that was fast approaching her from behind. Before it reached her, however, a battle-axe cut down the charging enemy. After blinking in confusion, Hekele saw Kachie cross in front of her on her way towards where Sango and Kagome looked to be having difficulty with a group of soldiers. Hekele grinned at her friend's appearance and at the wolf demons that she and Koga had brought with them. There weren't many...but reinforcements were reinforcements.

The wolves dived into the fray brilliantly, relieving the weary warriors, even if only a tiny bit. Everyone was tired, and Ariel was still chanting whatever spell she had been before. No one knew what exactly it was for, and all they could do was continue to pound on the pure barrier, (which for demons like Koga, who didn't use weapons, was rather painful,) in hopes of destroying it. Nothing was working, and the group was getting desperate.

**_Welcome to my world she said,  
Separated world,  
She stayed separated  
_**

Inuyasha's cries of 'Kaze no Kizu' continued to penetrate the heavy air that was beginning to befall the group even as fatigue made it nearly impossible to do so for much longer. He panted heavily, and Kagome slumped over to him, sighing.

"I can't get through with my holy powers...Miroku can't either. We're out of ideas..." she said, trying to catch her breath even as one of the last of the crystal warriors charged at her. She shot it with an arrow, her last, and watched it fall to the ground and disappear. It was then that she felt more than saw it. Felt something moving that shouldn't. She felt an...essence moving. She turned and looked towards Kotaro sharply, it was to him that the essence was traveling. He was completely unaware as whatever it was merged with his body, and Kagome's lips parted in confusion. How could he not feel his body being invaded?

"Kotaro! Their essences...the remnants of their souls; they're flowing into you!" she cried, and he looked at her sharply. He could feel no such thing, but he didn't doubt her abilities either.

"What essences!" he called, trying to get nearer to her. Kagome's eyes widened when she felt more essences flowing towards him...they felt like...

"They're ours! Our soldiers! It's like their souls can't go anywhere else! More are merging with you!" she yelled back, effectively gaining everyone else's attention. Kotaro's own eyes widened in realization then.

_**Down poison...**_

_That's it...isn't it? Everyone that dies by her hand...and the hands of her henchmen...their powers flow into me...I'm...her catalyst..._ Kotaro thought dejectedly. He had seen that spell once in the great tomb he had once given to her...he had never dreamed that she had ever used it on anyone, much less himself...

**_You weren't there for me, I was there for you_**

**_You weren't there for me, I was there for you  
_**

He couldn't believe it. His entire world seemed to shatter right in front of him. This had to have taken time, years in fact, to accomplish...long before he had betrayed her...long before he had learned of her secret...

**_You weren't there for me, I was there for you_**

**_You weren't there for me, I was there for you  
_**

She had been using him from the very beginning, hadn't she? There had never been any love, or even fondness, on her part. Kotaro had given everything for her...killed for her...and yet...

**_You wouldn't die for me, I've died for you  
You wouldn't die for me, I've died for you  
_**

"Kotaro! What's happening? You know don't you!" Kagome called, getting closer. Kotaro looked to be in a state of massive shock, his entire body had gone rigid and his face pale. Something was wrong.

Kagura looked toward her new friend and saw the sudden change. Worried, she gripped her fan and blew away the few soldiers in her way and ran to his side.

**_You wouldn't die for me, I've already died for you_**

"Kotaro! Snap outta it!" she yelled shaking him. Everyone had stopped fighting; there were no more enemies left, save for Ariel. They all came running towards the two.

Kagome got there first, "Kagura, what's wrong with him?" Kagura shook her head.

"I have no idea...Hey Kotaro, talk to me here!" she tried again. When he still didn't respond, Kagura slapped him across the face, so hard it'd make Sango proud.

Jolted to reality, Kotaro blinked a few times, shocked. He slowly turned his head and saw two worried girls staring at him. Kagura tried again.

"What's going on? Why'd you space out like that!" she questioned, concern leaking into her voice more than she would have liked. Kotaro merely shook his head.

"All this time...Ariel hasn't got the power she needs to do whatever it is that is going to stop time...no one does...so she's been taking it and storing it..." he said slowly, watching Ariel through her barrier. She was grinning at him even as she chanted...

"How is that possible? We would have sensed it if all that power was in her, even if it was only dormant," Sesshoumaru asked tensely. Hekele was slumped against him tiredly, too tired to stand on her own. Sesshoumaru too was barely standing, just as everyone else was...

"She...did a spell...one I was unaware of...one that whenever she killed someone, their powers flowed into a catalyst, where they were completely undetectable to everyone. When the catalyst is full, she does a chant...like she is now...and transfers it into herself. If she does it correctly, the catalyst reacts violently and the power becomes immeasurable...if not...then she still gets whatever power was sealed in the catalyst to begin with. At this stage, with everyone she's killed...it almost doesn't make a different..." he replied quietly. Kagome looked at him seriously.

"What's the catalyst? Maybe we could do something..."

**_You wouldn't die, you wouldn't die, you wouldn't die!_**

"The catalyst..." Kotaro said, looking down painfully, "...is me..." Everyone's faces took on a sobering look, and any hope they had was gone.

"There's no time to find the creature either...is there..." Kagome said sadly. Kotaro shook his head.

"Even with that last clue...we're out of time...she'll be done chanting any minute now...and we never made sense of it..." he replied darkly, angry. Kagome gave a questioning look at the mention of another clue and Kagura elaborated.

"_When the world stops turning, it will be time for my second to fulfill her destiny and discover her truth. Truth will become power and power will once more set the world in motion; if my second is strong,_" she said, her face void of all color.

_**Welcome to my world she said, do  
you feel alive she said  
**_

Kotaro's eyes suddenly held light again. It wasn't too late after all... "She's meant to stop time..." Everyone stared at him as though he had sprouted a second head.

"What! How is she meant to-" Kotaro interrupted Inuyasha's rant.

"Listen to the clue...this 'second' is revealed when time stops...she'll still be here to defeat Ariel...even after..." he trailed off, not bothering to finish his sentence. Kagura gave him a semi-frantic look.

"There's gotta be something we can do! We have no idea who or where she is, or even if she's strong enough to beat Ariel! The clue leaves room for doubt you know!" she yelled at him. Everyone stared at her in shock. Kagura had never shown this much emotion before...except for hate...and that had been for Naraku...

"Nah...it's okay...I promise it'll all be fine in the end..." Kotaro could feel something welling in his body...he felt as though he were about to explode; it was beginning...

Ariel's chanting suddenly became louder, and everyone knew that she was almost finished. Her barrier had proven impossible to penetrate, and everyone had been completely helpless. Kagome became almost as frantic as Kagura.

"...What if I used the Jewel! I could wish that Ariel's barrier didn't exist, or that she was defeated, and then everything would be back to normal!" she tried; Kotaro shook his head.

"Then the future would change; you wouldn't be together in the future. Everything would change...and then Ariel might win in the future...remember, this is the result of you foiling us then. The only way to stop everything from happening is for all that to stay the same...and for you to stop me from summoning her in my time. May 25, 2010, that's the day I did it. If you can stop that, then all this will mean something. But if you use the Jewel now, and you destroy her this way, all that might still happen, and where would you be then?" It was then that Kotaro doubled over in pain, blood spilling out from the corners of his mouth. It was almost done now...

**_It's all a bad dream,  
Spinning in your lonely head  
_**

"Everyone...get away from me...there's no telling what kind of shockwave this'll create..." Kotaro stated painfully. Ariel's grin was even wilder than before. She knew she was winning...but she didn't know what he did...

"Kagome, promise me that no matter what happens, you won't use the Jewel. Got it?" he ground out. Kagome nodded.

"I promise Kotaro..." He nodded to her in thanks.

"Now get back!" he yelled, clenching his teeth in agony. Everyone did as told; Kagome and Sango had to pull Kagura back. She wasn't fighting them, but she wasn't moving willingly either...

_Why...does this hurt? I guess he was right when he said that we were kindred spirits...we understand each other...and...he doesn't deserve this..._ she thought to herself, shocked when she felt tears begin to roll down her face, though silently. Kotaro seemed to notice, however.

_**Down poison, down poison  
**_

"Kagura!" Kotaro yelled to her. He wouldn't continue until he knew she was looking right at him and he had her eyes locked with his own. He offered her a soft smile, "Don't you forget Kagura!" He could see a sad smile form on her face, and it was enough.

_**Down poison...**_

Before Kagura could say anything, a wave of power exploded from Kotaro, and he began to glow a bright red. In mere seconds, his body exploded into a bright red light, causing a shockwave that sent everyone flying apart. Kagura felt an intense pain, almost as though she were being burned alive, and looked down at herself. She wasn't flying through the air anymore...she was floating in place. Time had stopped.

The intense pain brought her to reality, and she saw that her body was dissolving into nothingness. It was burning away...

The world turned into darkness all around the group; the palace disappeared, the trees, the land, and the sky...it all vanished into black. The entire world was gone...

Everyone was painfully fading away...no one was spared the agonizing burn. Sesshoumaru held Hekele in his protective arms, Kachie kissed Koga's cheek, Sango and Miroku held hands, and Inuyasha was fondly stroking Kagome's cheek in a silent farewell. If Kotaro was wrong...they at least had been together this time...

Kagura shed a final tear as she too turned into nothing like the world around her. Her last thought brought a smile to her face. _No...Kotaro, I won't forget..._ And she was gone, along with everyone and everything else that had ever made up the world. All that was left was nothingness.

Ariel stood, angry and disturbed, though not because of what she had done. This was not what was supposed to happen...how had it? How was it even possible?

"You! What is the meaning of this! What are you doing here!" she shouted. Everything had gone as planned, so how had this occurred? No matter, she would finish the job easily enough. She just wanted to know _why_...

Silently crying for all that was lost...her friends...the children that had still been in the palace...her love...her world...and all of time both present and decimated future, Kagome raised her tear-stained face to that of her bitter enemy.

"I...I don't know..."

**_Down_**...

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**Me-** Not the last chapter...one more and the epilogue have yet to come...oh, and the song was 'Down Poison' by 3 Doors Down...

I am so sorry that this too so long. I had a lot happening over on this end...besides all I've listed at the beginning, (which I haven't altered since first starting this chapter weeks upon weeks ago,) I've had a very pressing family issue on my shoulders. It has now been resolved, for the best thankfully, and I should be better at updating these last few chapters...but don't hold your breath...School starts next Tuesday...as I stated in other chapters: I will **_NOT_** abandon this story..especially when so close to its conclusion. No matter how long it takes...I will update this...so don't lose hope in me...please?

I have a deviant art account now...it's at: http/synthetic-rose. Please check it out! It'd make my day! That and Review to this story! PLEASE!


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